THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 
RIVERSIDE 


•  .-  f_.  - :;.. 


M: 


C.  K.  OGDEN 


I 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/accountofpalmyraOOwrigiala 


^^^7^r>': 


P-flLMYRQ 

R-N  D 

ZeNOBI4=I 


^  y^v  C^i 


Z  E  N  O  B  I  A . 
{I'lilarfftd  from  a  t>i«.) 


/^^\ 


*  ^^ 


rtfOMeJS  NELSON  (S-SONS 


AN     ACCOUNT 


PALMYRA  ANo  ZEX()F>IA 


TRAVELS    AXL)    ADVKXTORKS 


BASH  AN    AND    THE    DKSILRT 


Dr.    MUliam    Mriobt 

Author  of 
The  Empire  of  the  Hittites,"  "The  Hrontrs  in  Ikki.ani 


WITH     KIGHTV     ILLUSTRATIONS 
AND    THIRTY-TWO    l-TILL-PACE    RNRRAVINGS 


THOMAS      NELSON      AND      SONS 

London,  Edinhurgh,  and  Nca'  York 
189s 


Wys 


PREFACE. 


This  Book  was  written  partly  in  the  saddle  and  partly 
in  the  tent,  and  almost  wholly  amid  the  scenes  and  adven- 
tures which  it  describes.  It  should  therefore  not  be  lacking 
in  local  colour. 

The  explorations  and  events  recorded  were  incidents  of 
a  residence  in  Syria  during  nine  stirring  years,  and  com- 
panions in  the  dangers  and  enjoyments  are  still  with  us. 

The  work — some  chapters  of  which  have  already  appeared 
— has  been  edited  in  the  fresh  light  of  new  inscriptions  and 
fuller  investigations,  and  aims  at  giving  a  picture,  in  outline 
only,  of  the  living  past  and  the  living  present  under  con- 
sideration. The  East  moves  slowly,  and  few  changes  in 
light  or  shadow  call  for  alteration  in  tone  or  setting  con- 
sequent on  delay  in  publication. 

I  am  indebted  to  Dr.  Mackinnon  of  Damascus,  and  Dr. 
Macphail  of  Edinburgh,  for  the  use  of  recently  taken 
photographs  in  Bash  an ;  and  I  am  under  special  obligations 
to  the  publishers  for  the  creditable  manner  in  which  they 
have  produced  the  Book  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic. 

WILLIAM  WRIGHT. 

WOOLSTHOBPB,  NOBWOOD. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 


The  Bible  regarding  Solomon  and  Tadmor — Classic  history  and  Zenobia — The 
great  king  and  great  queen — The  glory  and  obscurity — Chronicles  in  stone 
— Two  visits  to  Palmyra — Dangers— Companions 1-4 

CHAPTER  II. 

licaving  Damascus — The  Lebanons — City  suburbs — Early  fruit — King  Abraham 
— Turkish  road-making — Party  separated — The  fortress  convent — Mirac- 
ulous picture  —  Christian  refuge  —  Syrian  handcuffs — Mjtloula  convent — 
Wonderful  town — The  scene — Syriac  spoken 5-16 

CHAPTER  III. 

Party  of  Kurds — Among  the  mountains — Yabroud — Ancient  tombs — Handsome 
people — Famine — Bedawi  raids — A  weeping  woman — English  lady. ...17-23 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Our  party — Prince  of  dragomans — Gaudy  guide — Desolate  plain — Vaulting 
ambition — Ruined  ci  ties — The  gleaners  plundered 24-30 

CHAPTER  V. 

More  ruins — Vapour  bath — Ancient  sanitarium — The  J&n  —  Bustards  and 
Bedawin — Hazar-enan — The  Stone  Age — Schooling— Border  Arabs— Guide 
and  guards ..  .  31-39 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Searching  for  'Ain  el-Wu'ul — Rickety  escort — "Brandy  Bob"  and  "Gipsy" — 
Gazelle  traps — Wild  stampede — Dnnik  and  incapable — Encamping  in  the 
dark — The  "princess"  and  her  gift — Revolution  in  hair — The  captive 
maiden — The  captive  mother's  lullaby — Wa'al  hunting — Desert  Quakers — 
The  fountain— Suleib  children  supremely  beautiful 40-53 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Coursing  hares  on  our  way — Castle  of  Palmyra — Cyclopean  horse — Strange 
birds — Arab  camping-ground — Wonderful  lizard — Approaching  Palmyra — 
First  sight  of  the  niins 54-62 


xii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Among  the  ruins — Encampment — Temple  of  the  King's  Mother — Hadrian  and 
Palmyra — Temple  of  the  Sun— Temple  described— Holy  of  Holies— Zenobia 
in  her  splendour — City  of  columns — Public  edifices — Palace  of  Zenobia — 
Palmyra  statues — Statues  to  Zenobia  and  her  husband — Zenobia 's  name — 
Splendid  city. (»-73 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Sir  Richard  Burton's  advice — Scaling  implements — Waggish  mule  and  ladders 
—Tomb  towers  —  Dreadful  dilemma  —  Facing  the  difficulty  —  Selecting 
diggers— Eighty  chosen — Attacking  the  towers — Digging  and  climbing — 
Sculptures— A  tower  described — Skulls  and  remains — Scarab  of  Tirhakah — 
An  African  romance — Entrapped  in  a  tomb — Among  the  bones — Sheol — 
Struggle  to  escape — Rescued 74-94 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  tepid  river — A  swim  in  the  sulphurous  fount — Penetrating  the  cavern — 
Fount  Ephca  and  altar — Bedawi  bathers  drowned — Water  supi^ly  of  the 
city — Various  sources — Climb  to  the  castle — View  from  the  castle — Name 
Tadmor — Building  of  Tadmor — Growth  of  Palmyra — Roman  influence — 
Meeting-place  of  merchants — Trade  routes — Origin  of  columns  and  statues 
— Cost  of  adornments. 95-108 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Zenobia  in  history  and  romance — Roman  influence — Relationship  of  Rome  to 
Tadmor  —  Roman  policy  —  Odainathus  —  Roman  bhmder — Meditated  re- 
venge— Capture  of  Valerian — Sapor  defeated  by  Odainathus — Odainathus 
murdered. 109-122 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Zenobia's  beauty  and  splendour — Claims  kinship  with  Cleoimtra — Supposed  to 
be  a  Jewess — Statues  to  Zenobia  and  Odainathus — Zenobia's  generals — The 
head  of  Zenobia — Zenobia's  descent — Her  appearance — Cassius  Longinus^ 
Zenobia's  opportunity — Roman  disasters— Zenobia's  call  to  arms .  ...123-138 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Zenobia  prepares  to  meet  the  Romans — Her  levies — Her  cami)s— Drilling  and 
discipline— Her  armies  march  by  three  routes — Water— The  great  battle  of 
Immae— The  heroic  queen — Roman  strategy — The  Romans  victorious — 
Flight  of  the  Orientals  to  Palmyra 139-150 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  dogged  West  and  the  chivalrous  East — The  water  question— The  siege  of 
Palmyra— Incidents  of  the  siege — The  city  in  straits— Aurelian's  letter  to 
Zenobia,  and  her  reply —Zenobia  looking  for  succour 151-1.58 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Zenobia  fleeing  for  help — Desperate  ride — Pursued — Seized  at  the  Euphrates — 
Brought  back  a  prisoner — In  the  presence  of  Aurelian — Palmyra  capitu- 
lates— Execution  of  Longinus — Revolt  at  Palmyra — Return  of  Aurelian — 
His  vengeance — Restoration  of  the  temple — Aurelian's  triumph— The  cap- 
tive queen— Zenobia  in  Italy — Decadence  of  Palmyra 159-170 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Last  day  at  Palmyra— Bedawi  charge— An  awkward  reception— Interview  with 
the  spearmen — Return — Followed  by  the  Bedawin — Encamped  beside  the 
enemy — Guards  asleep — Arms  removed — Uproar — Giving  the  Bedawin  the 
slip — Escape  and  pursuit — Caravan  attacked — Battle — Defeat  of  the 
peasants  and  plunder  of  the  caravan — Turkish  oflBcial  sharing  in  the  loot — 
Turkish  justice 171-188 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Fox-htmting — Turkish  misrule — Blackmail — The  Turkish  caterpillar  and  the 
Bedawi  locust — Marriage  of  the  sheikh's  daughter — Housebreaking — Dis- 
turbed night — Orientals  and  Damascus 189-193 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Incident  in  my  first  visit  to  Palmyra — Collecting  curios — Mummies  and  skulls 
—  Archaeological  fever — The  Greek  image  and  umbrella  handle— Fever 
cured — Long  ride  projected — Leaving  the  ruins — Way  blocked— We  charge 
— Very  irregular  army — Judgment  on  prudence — Desperate  ride — Blood- 
mare  and  plebeian — Evading  a  camp — Discovered  and  pursued — Race  for 
life  — Successful  ruse — Escai)e  from  pursuers 194-204 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

The  delightful  dawn — A  new  danger — Unpleasant  company — Fired  on  and 
slightly  wounded — Retiring  salute — Marvellous  escape — Short  halt  at 
Karyetein — Pressing  onward  alone — People  by  the  way — Vultures  to  the 
prey — Ladies  and  naked  soldier — Samaritanism 205-214 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Two  horsemen— Challenge  and  counter-challenge — ^The  dabbous  and  the  shil- 
lelah — Peace  and  interview — Enemies  become  friends — Home  in  Damas- 
cus  215-221 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

ADVENTURES  AMONG  THE  RUINS  OF  BASHAN. 

Starting  for  Baehan — Companions — The  ways  of  dragomans — Camel  panic — 
The  street  called  Straight — Crusaders — Cemeteries— Massacre — Graves — 
Colporteur's  spurt  and  the  result — Scenery — The  plain — The  'Awaj  not  the 
Ph&rpar — Rivers  of  Damascus — Naaman's  choice  justified 223-239 


xiv  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

The  potters'  caravan — Brag  and  cringe — The  field  of  forays — Father  of  a  tree, 
and  Abu  Muraj — Desert  tactics — First  sight  of  the  Lejah — Billows  of 
basalt — Reception  at  Burak — Water  famine— Gloom  of  the  Lejah— Bashan 
architecture — People  of  Bur&k  —  Caves  and  inscriptions — Shooting  par- 
tridges—Cookery in  the  desert 240-257 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Coasting  the  shore  of  the  Lejah — Resemblance  to  a  coast-line — Churning  and 
butter — Coursing  and  cai>turing  a  Bedawi — Stalking  bustards — The  katha 
migration — Grouse  eggs  —  Entering  Musmeih — Ruins  and  inscri[>tions — 
Character  of  the  ruins — Our  following — The  use  of  a  joke — Losing  our 
way — Mazes  of  lava — Cruising  round  promontories  and  headlands — People 
of  Khubab  waiting  for  a  lord — An  old  acquaintance 258-273 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Position  of  Khubab  —  Agricultural  village  —  Industries  —  Opposition  of  the 
priest — Sunday  at  Khubab— General  description — Hermon — Hauran  towers 
— Deserted  villages — Reception  at  Tibny — The  widow  and  her  son — Villages 
on  the  plain — Ezrii  and  Adra'at — Identification  of  Edrei,  the  city  of  Og — 
Og's  kingdom — Undergroimd  Edrei — Conquest  of  Bashan  and  defeat  of  Og 
— Bible  narrative  and  the  topog^phy — Limits  of  Og's  kingdom — Ashtaroth 
— Argument  of  identification 274-292 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Ezr^  and  its  ancient  church — Ruins  described — Inhabitants  of  Ezra — Leaving 
by  a  slippery  path — More  coast-lines — Busr  el-Hariry  and  its  inhabitants 
— Battle  of  Nejr&n — Druzes  and  Christians — A  strange  lady — Her  dwell- 
ing and  influence  and  treasure — Her  coin  with  Og's  effigy — A  diplomatic 
sheikh 293-301 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Druze  courtesy  and  hospitality — Bedawi  women — Druze  women  with  horns — 
Christian  women— Tell  Sheehan  open-mouthed  —  Druze  women  by  the 
water — Kanaw^t  and  scenery  —  Identification  and  history  —  Gideon's  ex- 
pedition— The  Bashan  sanitarium — Rambles  among  the  ruins— The  people 
— "  Our  lord,  King  Herod  the  Great " — Atil  and  scenery — A  discovery  at 
Atil— Roman  road 302-323 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Horses  at  Suweideh — Our  old  guide — Character  of  hospitality — Dnize  politics — 
Identification — Loading  a  donkey— Jebel  Kuleib— Druze  towns  and  people 
— St.  George — Extinct  volcanoes  —  The  use  of  the  towers — A  splendid 
sheikh — Excitement  among  the  Druzes  —  Preparing  coffee — Cause  of  the 
excitement — Warlike  speech— Another  acquaintance — New  ground  —  Re- 
nmrkable  ruins 324-340 


CONTENTS.  XV 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Melah  es-San-ar  and  its  towers  and  people— Agriculture — Other  ruins  beyond — 
Arab  carriers  of  salt  from  the  Jowf — The  Salchah  of  the  Bible  and  Castle 
of  SulkhM — Castle  on  a  crater — Bedawi  battle — Feasting  the  victors — A 
wild  scene — Men  feeding — The  women's  share — Separated  party — Bosra 
and  ruins — Christian  inscription— Signs  of  magnificence — Stormy  night  and 
sand-drift — The  Turkish  garrison  and  officers — Preparing  for  an  attack — 
An  officer's  dormitory — State  of  siege— Christian  spies — Attack  and  escajie 
— Departure  from  Bosra — A  furious  Druze — Battle  of  Mezareeb — The  city 
that  gave  Rome  an  emperor  and  the  Druzes  a  prince 341-364 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Druzes  in  conclave — Questioned  by  Druze  women — Sudden  descent  through  a 
roof — Family  at  supper— The  feast  and  foods — Druze  religion — An  uncanny 
old  sheikh— Abrupt  departure — Crossing  the  Lejah — Druze  head-dress — 
Dama  and  its  reported  wonders — Resolved  to  know  the  worst — Amazon 
women  and  savage-looking  men — Exjjloring  in  safety — Dangerous  Arabs — 
Arable  land  in  the  Lejah — Remarkable  Arab  shepherds — Business  and 
talk — Wandering  in  a  maze — Steering  by  fixed  points — Out  on  the  level 
plain — Enormous  flock  of  gazelles— Curiosity  of  the  Christians  at  Buseir  — 
Local  industry — Vultures  following  the  Mekka  pilgrims — Cruelty  to  ani- 
mals— Filthy  and  ferocious  pilgrims — Loveless  return  home — Light  on  the 
sacred  record— Our  duty  to  the  Druzes— The  end 365-387 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTKATIONS. 


Grand  Colonnade,  Falmyra.. Frontispiece 
Maps — Empire  of  Zenobia ;  Routes 

to  Palmyra xx 

Fountain,  Damascus 1 

Soffit  Ornament  of  Temple  Cell  Door  4 
Pilaster  Ornament,  Temple  of  Sun...  5 

Straight  Street,  Damascus 7 

Saiden^ya 11 

Frieze  Ornament,  Temple  of  Sun 17 

Yabroud. 18 

Yabroud  Family 19 

Entablature    of     Grand    Entrance, 

Temple  of  Sun 24 

Sudud's  Vaulting  Ambition 27 

Palmyra  Tesserae 30 

Entablature  of  Grand  Entrance  Por- 
tico, Temple  of  Sun 31 

Soffit  of  Cornice,  Little  Temple 40 

Soffit  supported  by  Four  Columns.... 53 
Basso  Relievo  on  Pilaster,  Temple  of 

Sun ...54 

Triumphal  Arch,  with  Castle  in  the 

distance 57 

Palmyra  Ruins 59 

Temple  of  the  Sun 61 

Fragment  of  a  Temple 62 

Fallen  Capital 63 

Temple  of  the  King's  Mother 64 

Upright  of  Side  Door  of  Great  Tem- 
ple  65 

Ceiling  of  Holy  of  Holies,  Temple  of 

Sun 67 

Temple  of  the  Sun,  Eastern  Side 69 


Triumphal  Arch 71 

Side  Archway  of  Triumphal  Arch. .  72 

Ceiling  of  Tomb  Tower 74 

The  Father  of  Ladders 75 

Tomb  Towers 81,  85 

Palmyrene  Figure 88 

Seal  of  Tirhakah 88 

Baalatga  and  'AUiasha 90 

Mortuary  Vault 92 

Palmyrene  Figure 94 

Soffit  in  Temple  of  Sun 95 

Castle  end  of  Great  Colonnade 99 

Central  part  of  Great  Colonnade.  104-5 

Palmyrene  Figure 108 

Zenobia 109 

The  Triumphal  Arch 113 

Coin  of  Valerian 122 

Projecting  Entablature,  Temple  of 

Sun 123 

Doorway  of  Zenobia's  Palace 125 

Supposed  Heads  of  Zenobia  ....12f),  130 

Coin  of  Zenobia 139 

Grand  Colonnade 143 

Palmyrene  Inscription 150 

Entablature,  Temple  of  Sun 151 

Roman  Lamp 158 

Frieze  in  Temple  of  Sun 159 

Colonnade  of  Temple  of  Sun 165 

Scroll  and  Capital  of  Pilaster,  Tem- 
ple of  Sun 170 

Frieze,  Great  Door  of  Temple  Court.  171 

Granite  Monoliths 173 

Palmyra  Terra-Cotta  Head 188 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Cornice  Soffit  of  Tomb  Tower 189 

Bedawi  Robbers 190-191 

Ceiling  of  Holy  of  Holies,  Temple 

of  Sun 193 

Palmyrene  Inscriptions 194 

Tesserae  from  Palmyra 204 

Ceiling  of  Tomb  Tower 205 

Soffit  of  Side  Door  of  Temple.. 214 

Square  Entablature,  Great  Temple  215 

Damascus 218-219 

Solitary  Column 221 

Bab  es-Shurki,  Damascus 222 

i»/«/>— Sketch  Route  of  Bashan.  224-225 

Runaway  Camels  in  Desert 227 

Villa  on  the  Barada 236 

The  Barada  and  Merj 237 

Coin  of  Aretas 240 

Basalt  Bed  of  the  Lejah 245 

Lejah  Partridges 256 

Stone  Window  (Hauran) 258 

Bedawin  of  the  Hauran 261 

Temple  at  Musmeih 265 

interior  of  Temple 266 

Coin  of  Philip  the  Tetrarch 274 

Hermon 276-277 

Hauran  Watch  Tower 279 

Palmyra  Mortuary  Tower 279 

Coin  of  Herod  the  Great 293 


Coin  of  Edrei 300 

Folding  Stone  Door  (Hauran) 302 

Tell  Sheehan 303 

Druze  Tantur 305 

Temple  at  Suleim 306-307 

Temjjle  of  Kanawjit 308 

Druze  Ladies  of  Lebanon .  .309 

Ruin  at  KanawSt 311 

Coin  of  Kanawat 314 

Gateway,  KanawSt 316 

Peripteral  Temple  at  Kanawat 319 

Ruins  at  KanawSt 321 

Carved  Head,  Kanawat 323 

Doorway  at  Kanawat 324 

Temple  at  Es-Suweideh 326-327 

Stone  Door  (Hauran) 340 

Coin  of  Bosra 341 

Lebanon  Druzes 345 

Castle  of  Salchah 346-347 

Bosra 350 

Columns  at  Bosra 351 

Ruinsof  Bosra,  Theatre  and  Castle 354-5 

Ruins  of  Bosra 357 

Bab  el-Howa,  Gate  of  the  Wind 360 

Shuhba,  Roman  Bath 364 

Coin  of  Philip 365 

Druze  Sheikhs  at  'Ahiry 367 

The  Hajj  leaving  Damascus 381 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 


oJOioo 


CHAPTER  I. 

HE  Bible  tells  us  that  Solomon  built 
Tadinor  in  the  wilderness,  and  classic 
authors  inform  us  that  Zenobia  had 
her  home  there.  History,  sacred  and 
secular,  links  the  city  inseparably 
with  that  magnificent  King  of  Israel, 
unrivalled  in  wisdom  and  barbaric 
splendour,  and  with  that  desert  queen 
and  peerless  woman,  whose  regal  at- 
FouNTAix,  DAMASCUS.  tpibutcs  and  pereonal  accomplish- 
ments were  as  remarkable  as  the  brilliance  of  her  reign. 
The  city  comes  on  the  stage  of  history  in  the  blaze  of 
glory  that  surrounded  the  most  wondrous  of  Oriental 
kings,  and  after  many  centuries  of  splendid  obscurity, 
quits  the  stage  of  history  in  the  meteoric  glare  that 
accompanied  the  most  wondrous  of  Oriental  queens. 


2  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

And  yet  history,  careful  to  preserve  the  remembrance 
of  cities  of  which  no  vestige  remains,  has  been  so  reticent 
about  Tadraor,  that  the  wonderful  ruins,  lately  discovered, 
almost  alone  perpetuate  her  glory.  Her  chronicles  are 
written  in  stone  —  in  graceful  villa  and  spacious  palace, 
in  massive  mausoleum  and  mighty  temple,  in  vistas  of 
airy  colonnades  and  crescents  seen  through  triumphal 
arches,  and  in  a  thousand  monuments  of  genius  and  taste, 
battered  and  hurled  about  as  playthings  of  time,  but  con- 
serving in  every  feature  the  blush  and  freshness  of  youth. 

Like  a  shrinking  beauty,  Tadmor  sits  in  solitary  gran- 
deur behind  her  own  desert  mountains  ;  and  those  who 
would  see  her  in  her  calm  retreat  must  leave  the  beaten 
tracks  of  tourists,  and  cross  "  the  great  and  terrible 
desert." 

During  ten  years,  I  had  seen  man}^  tourists  arrive  at 
Damascus,  eager  as  devotees  to  gaze  on  this  queen  of 
ruins;  but  owing  to  the  expense,  danger,  and  general 
hardships  of  the  journey,  few  of  the  multitude  had  been 
permitted  to  look  upon  her  beauty.  Of  these  few,  fewer 
still  had  free  leisure  to  become  acquainted  with  all  her 
charms. 

I  may  consider  myself  the  most  fortunate  of  tourists, 
in  that  I  twice  succeeded  in  visiting  Palmyra  under  the 
most  favourable  circumstances,  and  without  stepping  far 
out  of  the  circle  of  my  professional  duties.  I  shall  take 
my  readei-s  by  my  latest  route,  through  a  region  seldom 
explored,  and  by  an  easy  path,  with  water  at  regular 
intervals. 


PALMYRA   AND   ZENOBIA.  3 

As  my  first  trip  to  Palmyra  was  made  in  the  ordinary 
prescribed  manner,  I  shall  get  it  out  of  the  way  as  quickly 
as  possible,  and  only  refer  to  it  again  to  illustrate  or 
supplement  my  second.  It  consisted  of  long,  weary 
marches,  day  and  night,  along  the  middle  of  an  uninterest- 
ing plain,  extending  in  an  eastern  direction,  with  moun- 
tains like  walls  running  most  of  the  way  on  either  side.  I 
left  Damascus  on  the  20th  March,  1872,  and  reached  Pal- 
myra in  four  days ;  but  as  the  road  was  monotony  itself, 
1  came  back  to  Damascus  at  one  stretch,  and  my  mare 
trotted  into  Damascus  almost  as  fresh  as  she  had  trotted 
out  of  Palmyra.  This  long  ride,  which  was  beset  with 
adventures,  I  shall  describe  further  on. 

From  the  time  of  my  first  trip  to  Palmyra,  the  people 
of  Karyetein,  where  I  spent  a  night,  never  ceased  to  urge 
me  to  establish  a  school  among  them,  and  I  had  promised 
to  revisit  them  in  the  spring  of  1874.  During  that  spring 
the  Bedawin  plundered  the  whole  eastern  borders  of  Syria. 
Caravan  after  caravan  with  Bagdad  merchandise  was 
swept  off  into  the  desert.  The  British  Bagdad  post, 
sacred  in  the  most  troublous  circumstances,  had  been 
seven  times  plundered,  the  letters  had  been  torn  open 
and  strewed  over  the  plain,  and  the  postman,  without 
camel  or  clothes,  left  to  perish,  or  find  his  way  as  he  best 
could  to  human  habitation.  Spearmen,  like  swarms  of 
locusts  from  the  east,  spread  over  Jebel  Kalamoun,  and 
having  slain  the  shepherds,  and  stripped  any  men  or 
women  who  fell  in  their  way,  drove  before  them  all  the 
flocks  and  herds  of  the  reofion. 


4  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

Feeble  fanaticism  held  sway  in  the  citj',  and  absolute 
anarchy  reigned  in  the  rural  districts;  and  so  great 
was  the  terror  of  the  peasantry,  that,  though  they  were 
actually  starving,  they  could  not  move  from  their  vil- 
lages, except  in  large  armed  bodies,  and  even  thus 
they  sometimes  fell  a  prey  to  the  Ishraaelites. 

In  this  state  of  the  country,  I  had  almost  given  up 
my  promised  visit,  when  two  daring  explorers,  the  Hon- 
ourable C.  F.  P.  Berkeley  and  wife,  arrived  in  Damascus. 
Coolness  and  courage  had  carried  them  safely  through 
Petra  and  Karak,  and  all  the  trans-Jordanic  regions, 
where  they  were  sometimes  beset  with  savage  and  furious 
mobs.  Their  faces  were  set  towards  Tadmor,  and  the 
prospect  of  danger  only  gave  a  keener  zest  to  the 
projected  tour.  A  common  interest  drew  us  together, 
and  I  Avas  able  to  avail  myself  of  their  escort  and  pleasant 
society,  in  return  for  topographical  knowledge,  and  an 
acquaintance  with  the  people  and  their  ways.  The  season 
was  already  far  advanced  for  making  the  journey  to  Pal- 
myra, and  so  we  resolved  to  start  at  once. 


SOKKIT    UKNAME.NT    UF    TLMILK    (_KLI,    DUUK. 


PILASTER    ORNAMENT,     TEMPLE     OF    THE    SUN. 


CHAPTER   II. 

/^N  the  25th  May,  1874,  we  left  Straight  Street, 
^^  Damascus,  at  nine  o'clock  A.M.  As  we  passed  out  of 
the  city,  we  saw  green  vegetables  beginning  to  make  their 
appearance  in  the  markets,  and  jaundiced-looking  apricots, 
ripened  in  the  baths,  were  being  eagerly  purchased  and 
greedily  devoured  by  the  famine-stricken  people.  A  little 
beyond  Bab  Tuma,  Thomas'  Gate,  where  once  stood  St. 
Thomas'  Church,  the  site  of  which  is  now  unknown, 
we  turned  out  of  the  straight  road  to  Palmyra,  into  a 
shady  lane  to  the  left.  We  had  planned  our  route 
through  the  highlands  of  Jebel  Kalamoun,  that  we 
miglit  visit  the  interesting  towns  and  mission  schools 
of  that  region,  while  escaping  the  great  heat  of  the 
plains. 

On  most  maps  of  Syria,  the  Anti-lebanon  appears  as 
a  huge  caterpillar,  laid  side  by  side  and  parallel  with 
Mount  Lebanon ;  but  the  Anti-lebanon  consists  of  a  series 
of  mountain  ranges,   some    of   which   run  parallel  with 


6  PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 

Lebanon  and  sink  into  the  great  Hums  plain,  while  some 
twist  off  in  a  more  eastern  direction,  and  shoot  out  into 
the  desert.  The  most  eastward  and  desert  ward  of  these 
ranges  rises  into  Hermon  at  the  one  end,  and  sinks  into 
Palmj^ra  at  the  other;  and  the  part  of  this  latter  range 
which  lies  north-east  of  Damascus  is  generally  known  as 
Jebel  Kalamoun. 

Our  shady  lane,  through  the  orchards  of  Damascus, 
was  overhung  with  great  spreading  walnuts,  trellised 
with  vines,  and  on  either  side  were  apricots  beaded  with 
new  fruit,  and  thickets  of  pomegranate  with  scarlet 
blossoms  bursting  forth  like  handfuls  of  crumpled  silk. 

Half  an  hour  from  the  city  we  crossed  the  Taura 
(Pharpar),  a  river  of  Damascus,  a  little  below  where  a 
cotton  manufactory  was  established  with  English  machin- 
ery, and  under  English  superintendence.  Tlie  English 
workmen,  however,  found  great  difficulty  in  getting 
their  wages,  and  they  were  kept  in  unhealthy  lodgings, 
until  three  out  of  four  died,  and  the  survivor  returned 
home  broken  in  heart  and  constitution,  and  with  experi- 
ences sufficient  to  deter  others  from  being  allured  into 
similar  service  by  the  prospect  of  high  wages. 

Beyond  the  bridge,  we  met  a  party  with  a  few  sacks 
of  new  barley,  artificially  ripened,  and  carried  on  the 
backs  of  donkeys  into  the  city ;  and  we  saw  fields  of 
barley  pulled  and  left  on  its  side  to  ripen,  that  it  might 
be  in  time  for  the  famine  prices. 

An  hour  from  Damascus  we  passed  through  Burzeh, 
a    Moslem    village,    where    there    is    the    sanctuary    of 


STRAIGHT  STREET,    DAMASCUS. 
(A'o.  31  on  tlie  U/t-) 


PALMYRA   AND   ZENOBIA.  9 

Abraham,  and  where  the  people  still  talk  familiaily 
of  "good  King  Ibrahim,"  though  the  names  of  Sultan 
Selim  and  Salah  ed-Din  (Saladin)  have  already  almost 
passed  from  local  tradition.  Here  we  struck  into  the 
mountains  to  the  left  by  a  pass  up  a  gorge,  pai-allel 
to  the  sublime  gorge  of  the  Barada,  by  which  tourists 
enter  Damascus,  and  much  resembling  it,  but  on  a 
smaller  scale. 

Our  road  lay  up  a  fine  mountain  torrent,  through 
which  our  horses  splashed  and  stumbled.  Once  a 
Damascus  Moslem  was  riding  up  the  same  gorge,  and 
he  had  his  leg  broken  by  the  falling  of  his  horse. 
When  dying  he  left  a  sum  of  money  to  make  a  road 
through  the  pass,  to  prevent  the  repetition  of  such 
accidents  as  cost  him  his  life.  The  money,  after  lying 
many  years  in  the  wrong  place,  was  unearthed  by  an 
English  engineer;  but  it  found  its  way  into  Moslem 
hands  once  more,  and  in  summer,  when  the  pass  was 
bone  dry,  a  road  was  made  along  the  bottom  of  the 
ravine.  The  fact  of  the  Turks  having  made  a  road 
themselves  was  published  in  the  papers,  and  people 
wondered.  The  road  was  made  chiefly  of  dry  dust, 
pressed  down  by  the  palms  of  the  hands  and  the  bare 
feet  of  the  workmen  and  workwomen ;  and  though  it 
had  been  only  one  j'^ear  made  when  we  passed  tlirough, 
not  a  vestige  of  it  remained. 

In  less  than  half  an^  hour  we  issued  from  the  gorge 
at  Maraba,  a  Moslem  village,  clinging  to  a  bare  rock 
overhanging   the   water.      We    turned    up    the    western 


lo  PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

side  of  the  ridge  through  which  we  had  come,  by  a 
narrow  valley  full  of  fragrant  walnuts,  and  white- 
stemmed  poplars,  and  green  corn  as  high  up  as  the 
soil  was  watered,  and  no  higher,  calling  to  mind  the 
words  of  the  prophet,  "  And  everything  shall  live 
whither  the  river  cometh"   (Ezek.  xlvii.  9). 

We  lunched  in  a  lovely  green  meadow,  under  the 
trees,  near  the  village  Et-Tell,  and  then  continued  our 
course  in  the  track  of  the  water  past  Menin.  a  village 
which, -like  Et-Tell,  contains  many  remains  of  ancient 
buildings.  This  part  of  our  route  was  charming.  We 
had  left  the  steaming  city  behind,  and  we  were  con- 
tinually getting  up  out  of  the  heuted  plain.  Here 
and  there  we  had  pleasant  shade,  and  everywhere  the 
sparkling  water  murmured  past  us,  and  every  vista 
and  every  eminence  supplied  pictures  of  blending  land- 
scapes, such  as  are  rarely  seen  even  in  Syria. 

Here  our  party  was  temporarily  broken  n[).  We  had 
agreed  to  sjiend  the  first  night  at  Maloula,  but  my  com- 
panions' guide  had  directed  the  tents  to  Saidenaya, 
and  so  I  had  to  ride  on  alone,  as  I  had  arranged  to 
visit  the  mission  schools  of  Yabroud  and  Nebk  on  the 
following  day. 

I  passed  the  fortress  convent  of  Saidenaya,  perched 
on  a  high  rock,  up  which  hewn  steps  lead  to  a  small 
door,  the  only  entrance.  This  convent  contains  a  crowd 
of  ignorant,  idle  women,  and  is  famous  for  a  picture 
painted  by  St.  Luke,  which  distils  a  fluid  very  eflica- 
cious  for  eye  complaints,  and  for  replenishing  the  coffers 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 


II 


of  the  convent.  The  picture  was  once  stolen,  but  in 
the  hands  of  the  thief  it  became  changed  into  flesh, 
and  continues  so  to  this  day.  I  once  tried  hard  to  see 
this  miraculous  picture.  I  urged  the  cruelty  of  keeping 
a  thing  of  flesh  and  blood  so  closely  confined,  and  the 
advantages  that  might  be  expected  from  a  little  fresh 
air.      I   was   also   very   liberal,   and   tried   to    bribe   my 


SAIDENATA. 

hostess,  who  was  not  fair,  but  it  was  all  in  vain.  I 
could  not  see  it  and  live,  and  so  I  was  spared  the  sight. 
This  miracle  has  attained  to  an  antiquity  respectable 
in  these  days.  Nearly  two  hundred  years  ago,  Henry 
Maundrell    found    the    fame    of    the    picture,^  and    the 

'  At  a  very  early  period  the  picture  was  supposed  to  represent  the 
Virgin  Mary.     There  is  a  Latin  MS.  in  the  Library  of  Trinity  College, 


12  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

reputation  of  the  establishment,  about  the  same  as  they 
are  now.  But  they  have  a  new  miracle  to  boast  of  in 
the  convent  of  Saidenaj'^a. 

In  1860,  many  Christians  took  refuge  in  the  con- 
vent, and  they  were  there  for  a  time  in  a  state  of  siege. 
There  is  no  well  in  the  convent,  and  only  a  cistern  in 
which  the  rain-water  from  the  roof  is  preserved.  But, 
wonderful  as  it  may  seem,  the  water  in  the  cistern 
swelled  up  to  the  brim,  and  overflowed  in  a  stream  all 
the  time  that  the  wicked  Druzes  hovered  about  the 
convent.  Could  I  disbelieve  the  miracle  when  I  was 
told  of  it  by  a  lady  who  actually  saw  it  take  place,  and 
pointed  out  to  me  the  very  spot?  It  is  much  to  be 
regretted  that  tliis  miracle  took  place  in  such  an  out- 
of-the-way  convent ;  but  even  thus,  I  have  no  doubt, 
it  will  yet  receive  the  fame  it  merits. 

My  path  lay  along  the  eastern  side  of  the  mountain 
range  on  which  SaidenS.ya  stands.  The  range  has  a 
sea-washed  crest,  showing  in  its  length  a  clear  tide-line. 
Though  the  mountains  were  bare  and  without  vegetation, 
there  were  in  several  places  little  flocks  of  goats  and 
sheep,  attended  by  very  small,  half-naked  shepherds,  burnt 

Dublin,  consisting  of  a  Guide  Book  to  Palestine,  written  about  1350  a.d. 
The  picture  is  thus  referred  to:  "Ten  miles  from  Damascus  is  the  city 
of  Saidenaya,  in  which  is  the  venerate  image  of  the  glorious  Virgin  Mary, 
which  was  brought  from  Jerusalem.  This  blessed  image  was  entirely 
converted  into  a  fleshy  substance,  so  that  it  ceases  not  night  and  day  to 
emit  a  sacred  oil,  which  the  pilgrims  who  come  there  from  every  quarter 
carry  away  in  little  glass  jars.  No  Saracen  can  live  in  this  city ;  they 
always  die  within  a  year." 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  13 

brown.  The  red  plain  had  been  scratched  in  several 
places,  but  the  "  thin  ears  blasted  with  the  east  wind  " 
showed  that,  as  on  the  six  previous  yeai-s,  the  crop  of 
the  region  was  about  to  be  a  complete  failure. 

In  this  solitary  ride  I  met  only  one  partj^  of  men. 
They  were  village  recruits,  who  had  been  taken  by  con- 
scription. Handcuffs  in  Syria  are  of  a  most  primitive 
kind.  A  piece  of  a  tree,  eighteen  inches  long  and  eight 
inches  in  diameter,  is  split  up ;  a  place  is  hollowed  out 
across  the  split,  and  the  two  wrists  being  placed  in  the 
groove,  the  two  pieces  are  nailed  together  with  large 
spikes.  Each  recruit  had  his  hands  nailed  up,  and  the 
party  was  being  driven  into  Damascus  by  one  mounted 
dragoon.  The  sticks  had  been  so  unskilfully  fitted  that 
some  of  their  wrists  were  bleeding,  and  the  poor  fel- 
lows were  all  lame  and  hungry.  He  would  be  a  real 
benefactor  who  would  supply  Turkey  with  a  few  thou- 
sand pairs  of  civilized  handcuffs. 

In  less  than  three  hours  I  turned  to  the  left,  through 
a  narrow  cleft  in  the  mountain,  and  then  wound  up  and 
down  its  western  side,  till  I  reached  the  Greek  Catholic 
convent  of  Mdloula.  About  eight  o'clock  I  reached  the 
small  iron  portal,  which  opened  to  my  first  tap,  and  I 
found  myself  in  a  quadrangle  with  a  two-storied  range 
of  rooms  running  all  round  it.  Instead  of  nuns,  as  at 
Saidenaya,  a  great  drove  of  mountain  cows  were  housed 
iu  the  court  at  night,  and  the  place  was  kept  by  two 
agricultural  monks  and  two  "  stout  daughters  of  the 
plough." 


14  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

My  servant,  who  had  preceded  me,  luid  iny  bed  erected 
in  an  aerial  cell,  and  the  kindly  old  priest  brought  me 
a  bottle  of  native  wine,  and  what  was  better  still,  fresh 
eggs  and  milk. 

It  is  only  fair  to  state  that  the  priest  who  honoured 
me  with  his  company  seemed  to  value  more  highly 
than  I  did  this  "wine  of  Helbon,"  which  maintains  in 
its  neighbourhood  the  pre-eminence  it  held  in  the  days 
of  Ezekiel.  In  exact  ratio  as  the  contents  of  the  bottle 
went  down,  the  spirits  of  my  entertainer  rose,  and  till  a 
very  late  hour  he  poured  out  stories  of  the  place,  natural 
and  supernatural,  until  I  was  fairly  driven  into  the  land 
of  dreams. 

Next  morning  I  was  on  the  roof  of  the  convent  when 
the  first  shafts  of  rosy  light  shot  over  the  eastern  moun- 
tains. The  upper  convent  stands  near  the  edge  of  a 
fearful  precipice,  on  a  ledge  of  rock  which  seems  driven 
wedge-like  into  a  deep  break  in  th^  mountain.  Creeping 
close  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  I  looked  over,  and 
beneath  me  I  saw  the  most  picturesque  town  in  Syria, 
perhaps  the  most  remarkable  in  some  respects  in  the 
world.  The  cliffs  rise  several  hundred  feet  over  the 
village,  and  the  houses  stick  like  swallows'  nests  one 
above  the  other  about  the  bases  of  the  cliffs.  The  flat 
roofs  looked  like  the  steps  of  a  great  ladder  up  the 
side  of  the  mountain. 

The  Greek  convent  beneath.  Mar  Theckla,  is  wedged  in 
under  a  liuge  ledge  of  impending  mountain,  and  a  door 
opens  out  of  the  living  rock.     Tlie  arcli  of  the  roof  is 


PALMYRA  ANDZENOBIA.  15 

supported  by  a  slender  column,  which  seems  to  mock  the 
crushing  weight  above.  The  deep  valley  below  is  full 
of  huge  blocks  that  have  fallen  from  the  mountain,  and 
the  pendant  cliffs  are  cracked  and  fissured,  and  seem 
ready  to  follow  into  the  ravine.  As  I  stood  on  a  half- 
detached  ledge  that  overhung  the  houses,  I  almost  held 
my  breath,  lest  the  huge  mass  should  plunge  madly 
down  among  the  human  nests,  bringing  instant  death 
to  hundreds. 

The  scene  was  lovely  as  well  as  strange.  Behind, 
the  red  hill  curved  around  like  a  vast  amphitheatre, 
and  on  either  side  the  mountain  cliffs  stood  up  like  the 
sides  of  a  great  portal.  In  front,  the  gardens  opened 
out  like  a  fan  from  the  mouth  of  the  gorge.  These 
gardens,  green  with  the  many  shades  of  walnut,  and  pop- 
lar, and  bay,  and  cypress,  and  growing  corn,  terminated 
abruptly  in  a  flat  chocolate-coloured  plain,  around  which 
rose  tawny  hills,  in  some  places  bleached  white.  Eagles 
soared  and  wild  pigeons  swarmed  about  the  cliffs  above ; 
and  the  air  beneath  was  full  of  swallows,  which  darted 
in  and  out  under  the  projecting  ledges ;  and  there  were 
several  families  of  Syrian  nuthatches  —  some  of  them 
rare  specimens,  even  in  Syria  —  which  swung  and  sput- 
tered about  the  brows  of  the  cliffs. 

The  communication  between  the  upper  convent  and 
the  village  is  difficult.  On  either  side  of  the  wedge 
on  which  the  convent  stands,  and  against  whicli  the 
houses  are  stuck,  there  is  a  rent  or  deep  fissure  separat- 
ing  it  from   the   mountain.      I   descended   through   the 


1 6  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

rent  on  the  south-western  side  by  a  narrow  path  with 
stone  steps  cut  in  tlie  rock.  I  found  the  people  of 
M^loula  as  interesting  as  their  village.  They  speak  the 
ancient  Syriac  language,  though  most  of  them  can  also 
speak  a  little  Arabic,  but  with  a  Syriac  accent. 

Mdloula  is  the  centre  of  a  group  of  villages  where  the 
language  of  the  conquering  Arabs  has  not  yet  completed 
its  triumph.  In  Bukha  and  Jub-'Adin,  neighbouring 
villages,  the  people  are  all  Moslems,  and  all  speak  Syriac ; 
so  that  while  the  religion  of  the  prophet  has  prevailed, 
the  language  of  the  people  has  conquered  the  conquerors. 
In  Mdloula  it  is  a  drawn  battle.  Many  of  the  people  are 
still  Christians,  and  most  of  them  hold  by  their  own  old 
language.  In  all  other  villages  in  Syria  the  language  of 
the  Koran  is  the  language  of  the  people. 

I  ascended  to  the  convent  through  the  northern  rent, 
in  the  bottom  of  which  runs  the  stream  of  the  village. 
The  walls  rose  to  a  height  of  two  hundred  feet  on  either 
side,  showing  a  very  narrow  strip  of  sky  above.  Tlie  cliffs 
are  full  of  chambers,  and  closets  opening  off  chambers, 
and  there  are  hundreds  of  tombs  all  chiselled  out  of  the 
solid  rock.  The  village  is  of  high  antiquity,  as  the  Greek 
inscriptions  reach  back  to  the  first  century  of  our  era ;  and 
the  rock-hewn  chambers,  which  served  for  human  habita- 
tions before  the  people  learned  from  the  swallows  their 
present  style  of  architecture,  point  doubtless  to  a  veiy 
remote  period. 


iM 

i 

^il 

^M^ 

^^ 

^ 

I^M 

te^^^ 

t^Mt:^ 

'>  v^^^ 

^>^ji^ 

m 

^1 

N 

"'^^ 

8i 

f  \    Ullfl        4 

H 

if 

FRIEZE   ORNAMENT,    TEMPLE   OF   THE    SUN. 


CHAPTER   III. 

T  TAVING  thoroughly  explored  the  village,  and  paid 
^  ^  for  my  lodging  as  at  an  inn,  I  took  leave  of  the 
simple-hearted  old  monk,  and  started  for  Yabroud.  In  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  I  had  got  up  out  of  the  amphitheatre 
or  basin,  at  the  bottom  of  which  Mdloula  stands,  and  just 
as  I  gained  the  level  plateau  I  came  on  a  party  of  very 
savage-looking  men  sitting  round  an  artificial  tank  of 
stagnant  water.  They  were  clothed  in  black  sheepskin 
coats,  with  the  woolly  side  out,  and  they  were  armed 
with  clubs  and  swords  and  skin-covered  shields.  They 
were  a  party  of  Kurds  on  their  way  to  Damascus,  and 
just  such  a  party  as  constantly  murder  and  rob  solitary 
travellers.  We  measured  each  other's  strength,  and 
saluted  formally. 

A  ride  of  three  hours  over  swelling  hills,  with  a  range 
of  slate-coloured  mountains  on  the  right,  and  a  wide  red 
plain  stretching  away  to  distant  mountains  on  the  left, 
brought  us  to  a  gorge  in  the  mountain  choked  with  vege- 


i8 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 


tation.  Beyond  tlie  gorge,  liigli  over  the  green,  rose  a 
curious  conical  hill,  white  as  snow,  called  Ras  el-Kowz. 

At  the  base  of  this  hill  stands  Yabroud,  the  Janibrouda 
which  sent  a  bishop  to  the  Council  of  Nice.  The  place 
still  continues  to  be  the  residence  of  a  bishop. 

I  entered  the  town  past  a  beautiful  fountain  which 
pours    its   wealth    of    waters    througli    the   village    and 


.■f^f^f^): 


gardens,  creating  a  little  paradise  among  the  parched 
hills.  The  sides  of  the  gorge  contain  many  ancient  and 
unused  tombs  hewn  in  the  rock.  Some  are  high  up  in  the 
face  of  the  cliffs,  and  must  have  been  difficult  of  access 
at  all  times,  while  others  are  level  with  the  ground,  and 
are  spoken  of  as  shops.     Iji  one  of  these  some  wild-look- 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 


iQ 


ing  gipsies  were  living  as  I  passed,  calling  to  mind  the 
demoniac  of  Gergesa. 

The  iirst  thing  that  st'rikes  one  on  entering  Yabroud  is 
the  appearance  of  the  people.  Tlie  men  in  this  and  the 
other  villages   about   are   as   a   rule  tall,  well-built,  and 


FAMILY   OF   YABROUD. 


handsome.  Even  the  Christians  here  have  an  air  of 
independence  about  them  such  as  one  seldom  meets  with 
in  Syrian  Christians.  The  women  are  in  still  more  strik- 
ing contrast  with  their  sisters  elsewhere  throughout  the 
country.  They  are  tall,  red-cheeked,  healthy,  and  com- 
fortable looking,  and  though  seldom  beautiful,  they  have 
nothing  of  the  gipsy  appearance  of  the  women  in  the  south 


20  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

and  east,  nor  of  the  sickly  waxen  complexion  of  Damascus 
beauties.  They  have  a  general  resemljlance  to  the  women 
of  Nazareth,  but  they  liave  more  stamina  and  less  prudery 
than  the  maidens  of  the  pitcher. 

In  ordinary  times,  as  we  passed  along,  we  saw  them 
standing  at  their  doors,  with  big,  rosy  children  in  their 
arms,  or  grinding  at  the  mill,  or  spinning  woollen  yarn 
with  a  spindle;  and  not  unfrequently  heard  from  them 
hearty  ringing  laughter,  such  as  might  resound  from  a 
harvest-field  at  home. 

At  the  time  of  my  visit,  however,  all  cheeks  were 
pale  enough,  and  laughter  and  gladness  had  departed, 
and  I  started,  on  entering  the  mission  school,  at  the 
pinched  and  hungry  look  of  the  children.  There  were 
thirty  names  on  the  roll,  but  onl}--  fifteen  pupils  in 
attendance.  The  explanation  was  brief  and  sad.  Fam- 
ine was  in  the  district ;  five  or  six  bad  harvests  had 
followed  in  succession.  Madder  root,  which  is  largely 
cultivated  in  the  district  for  dyeing  purposes,  had  be- 
come almost  unsaleable,  owing  to  a  German  chemist 
having  discovered  a  mineral  substitute.  Those  who 
admired  the  brilliant  aniline  dyes,  little  thought  that 
the  new  flash  and  fading  colours  in  Pereian  rugs  meant 
starvation  among  the   mountains  of  Northern  Syria. 

The  flocks  of  the  villagei*s  had  been  swept  off  by  the 
Arabs,  who  had  also  intercepted  their  supplies ;  and 
the  Turks  insisted  on  having  their  taxes  in  full,  though 
giving  nothing  in  return. 

I  was  assured  that  there  were  not  ten  bushels  of  wheat 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  21 

in  tlie  village  of  three  thousand  inhabitants,  and  the  people 
were  living  chiefly  on  wild  roots  and  vegetables.  Fifteen 
of  the  scholars  were  on  the  mountains  and  in  the  glens, 
competing  with  the  goats  and  gazelles  for  something 
to  drive  away  hunger.  One-half  of  the  children  only 
went  on  these  expeditions  at  a  time,  and  the  fifteen 
who  were  in  the  school  were  making  a  meal  of  bean 
bread  and  hashish,  which  consisted  for  the  most  part 
of  mint  from  the  stream  and  rhubarb  (rahbas^  from  the 
mountain.  They  were  like  a  flock  of  hungry  kids 
feeding  on  clover. 

One  hour  beyond  Yabroud,  I  entered  Nebk,  through 
the  mouldering  huts  of  Ibrahim  Pasha's  camp.  The 
great  Egyptian  general,  seeing  the  splendid  appearance 
of  the  villagers,  established  his  camp  where  the  soldiers 
could  have  the  best  medicines  —  good  air  and  good  water. 
During  liis  occupation  of  Syria,  the  villagers  were  safe 
from  the  Bedawin.  The  Turks  have  learned  nothing 
from  his  example,  in  the  arts  of  either  war  or  peace. 

Tlie  village  of  Nebk  crowns  a  high  hill,  or  nabk^ 
and  is  crowned  itself  by  the  residence  of  a  Syrian 
Catholic  bishop,  whose  chief  business,  like  that  of  his 
mitred  brother  in  Yabroud,  seemed  to  be  the  suppres- 
sion of  education.  Hunger  was  pinching  also  in  Nebk, 
but  tlie  Protestants,  having  learned  principles  of  thrift 
with  the  gospel,  were  all  in  circumstances  of  comfort. 
Fifty  pupils  were  in  the  school,  and  though  all  were 
on  short  allowance,  they  had  not  the  hide-bound,  hunger- 
pinched  appearance  of  the  children  of  Yabroud. 


2  2  PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

Nebk  had  suffered  severely  from  the  two  great  enemies 
of  the  land,  —  the  Bedawiu  and  the  Turks. 

On  my  previous  visit,  I  entered  the  village  just  a 
few  minutes  before  the  Bedawin  made  a  gazzo  up  to 
the  very  entrance.  They  carried  off  a  few  camels  laden 
with  grain,  and  left  the  drivers  without  a  garment. 
Great  was  the  excitement  in  the  village.  People  rushed 
to  the  roofs  of  their  houses  and  screamed  in  concert, 
"^He  that  has  a  sword,  and  he  that  has  a  gun,  let  him 
forth  against  the  Arabs  " ;  but  while  all  screamed,  none 
went  forth,  and  the  Bedawin  swept  round  the  base  of 
the  hill  and  carried  off  their  booty  unmolested. 

A  short  distance  from  the  place,  two  miserable  women 
were  gathering  brushwood  for  fuel.  Every  day  they 
took  their  two  donkeys  out  in  the  morning,  and  returned 
in  the  evening  with  their  loads,  which  they  sold  and 
honestly  maintained  themselves  and  their  animals.  They 
had  nothing  in  the  world  but  tlie  two  donkeys,  which 
were  little  larger  than  goats.  The  Bedawin  of  romance 
would  surely  have  spared  such  objects ;  but  the  Bedawin 
of  the  desert  rushed  on  the  donkeys  with  a  yell  of 
joy,  stripped  the  ragged  garments  from  the  women, 
beating  them  when  they  resisted,  and  left  them  bare- 
footed, and  without  a  fig-leaf,  to  find  their  way  back 
in  shame  to  the  village.  Never,  perhaps,  did  romance 
take  greater  liberties  with  truth  than  when  it  threw 
a  halo  of  chivalry  round  these  cut-throats  of  the  desert. 

Next  morning  as  I  passed  out  among  the  high-walled 
gardens   to   visit  the   schools   of   Deir   'Atiyeh,    I   came 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  23 

suddenly  upon  a  woman  sitting  by  a  little  stream  and 
wailing  plaintively.  Beside  her  wiis  a  little  basket  of 
cows'  dung,  which  she  had  gathered  for  fuel.  Her 
grief  was  not  a  surface  exhibition  to  catch  sympathy, 
as  no  one  was  near  in  the  early  morning.  She  told 
me  her  sad  tale:  her  husband,  returning  with  a  load 
of  grain  from  the  Euphrates,  had  been  speared  by  the 
Bedawin,  and  she  and  her  children  were  left  destitute. 

On  emerging  from  the  gardens,  and  reaching  the 
desert  once  more,  I  saw  a  cavalier  bearing  down  furi- 
ously upon  me.  At  the  distance  of  a  mile,  I  recognized 
our  lady  companion  whom  I  had  left  at  Saidenaj'^a  two 
days  previously.  As  I  watclied  an  English  lady  bound- 
ing over  the  desert  on  a  splendid  charger,  whose  neck 
of  thunder  swayed  hither  and  thither  to  her  silken 
touch,  I  could  not  help  thinking  how  much  Christianity, 
in  its  highest  types,  owes  to  its  contact  with  Teutonic 
chivalry. 

Deir  'Atiyeh  was  our  rendezvous,  and  we  all  con- 
verged to  the  Protestant  school.  Thence  we  passed 
out  of  the  village,  and  after  skirting  the  gardens  for 
some  time,  we  turned  into  the  desert  eastward,  in  a 
direct  line  for  Tadmor.  We  had  soon  to  call  a  halt, 
for  our  muleteers  were  hugging  the  village,  and  hang- 
ing back,  evidently  with  the  object  of  making  a  short 
day,  and  putting  us  down  at  the  first  convenient  resting- 
place,  as  they  had  done  the  first  day. 


itmtDSt  A«^\  Ji.  V>  -JU»;S*«  AAW**  A*V  Ae  -v-y 


ENTABLATURE   OF   CJKAND    ENTRANCE,    TEMFLE   OF   THE   SUN. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


'T^HE  halt  gave  me  an  opportunity  of  estimating  the 
^  magnitude  and  organization  of  our  party.  Two  cava- 
liers stood  out  conspicuous  from  all  the  others.  They  were 
Gazawy,  the  dragoman,  the  same  who  brought  "Sheikh 
Stanley "  through  "  Sinai  and  Palestine,"  and  a  Moslem 
sheikh,  brought  from  Nebk  as  guide  to  the  expedition. 

Gazawy  was  the  prince  of  dragomans ;  his  weakness, 
perhaps  his  strength,  was  to  have  everything  of  the 
best,  and  always  ten  times  more  than  enough.  The 
long  line  of  laden  mules  carried,  I  believe,  provisions 
for  the  party  for  twelve  months.  Booted  and  braced, 
he  sat  on  a  splendid  horse,  called  the  "Steam  Engine," 
as  if  he  were  a  part  of  the  horse,  and  viewed  the  long 
cavalcade  with  a  smile  of  pride  on  his  kindly,  weather- 
beaten  face. 

Gazawy's  chief  pride  and  glory  that  morning  was  his 
guide,  chosen  expressly  on  account  of  his  radiant  waist- 
coat.    Half  a  mile  from  the  village  this  guide  lost  the 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  25 

road,  and  led  us  astray,  and  fell  back  to  the  rear,  where 
he  could  do  no  harm.  When  a  village  would  rise  into 
sight  before  us,  he  would  suddenly  gallop  up  and  declare 
it  was  "  Sudud,"  or  some  other  town  that  he  knew  was  on 
our  way ;  but  as  we  saw  Sudud  far  down  on  the  plain  to 
the  left,  we  called  the  guide  "Sudud"  for  the  rest  of  the 
journey,  and  groped  our  way  by  the  aid  of  an  incorrect 
map. 

Our  course  during  the  day  lay  north-east  over  gently 
undulating  ground.  On  our  right  was  the  bare  northern 
shoulder  of  Kalamoun,  which  we  were  rounding,  and  to 
our  left  was  the  great  plain  which  stretches  away  to 
Hums  and  Hamah.  Green  spots  dotted  the  red  expanse, 
and  marked  the  sites  of  such  towns  as  Kara,  Hafr,  and 
Sudud,  the  Zedad  of  Scripture,  one  of  the  border  cities  of 
the  Land  of  Promise. 

That  plain  once  supported  the  flocks  and  hosts  of  the 
Hittites  and  the  armies  of  the  Seleucidae,  but  under  the 
beneficent  rule  of  our  Turkish  allies,  the  sites  of  great 
cities  are  marked  by  lofty  mounds  and  wretched  huts, 
and  the  miserable  inhabitants  carry  their  provisions  from 
the  Euphrates.  We  met  no  travellers,  for  all  who 
wished  to  escape  the  Bedawin  travelled  under  the  pro- 
tection of  the  darkness.  Persian  larks,  hawks,  vultures, 
and  pin-tailed  grouse,  were  the  only  tenants  of  that  deso- 
late region. 

A  little  after  mid-day  "  Sudud "  spied  two  human 
beings  creeping  down  from  the  mountain  as  if  going  to 
cross  our  path.     He  immediately  gave  the  alarm,  and  as 


26  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

there  were  only  two,  and  they  were  not  likely  to  be 
Bedawin,  he  charged  direct  at  them,  valiantly  brandishing 
his  rusty  weapons,  with  all  the  awkwardness  of  a  vil- 
lage horseman.  Our  bandit  guard  joined  in  the  chase, 
which  was  picturesque  and  exciting,  though  ludicrous. 
"Sudud"  kept  in  advance,  and  as  he  became  convinced 
that  there  were  no  Bedawin,  and  no  ambuscade,  he 
became  more  valorous.  He  would  show  that  though  he 
might  not  know  the  way,  he  was  the  hero  of  the  party 
in  the  hour  of  danger. 

But  just  as  he  was  snatching  his  laurels,  the  fate  of 
"vaulting  ambition"  befell  him;  for  his  horee,  having  had 
enough  of  it,  stopped  short  at  the  edge  of  a  dry  river-bed, 
and  "Sudud"  shot  over  his  head  to  the  other  side.  All 
cheered,  and  called  on  "Sudud"  to  charge  the  enemy; 
but  he  once  more  retired  to  the  rear,  where  he  kept 
guard  for  the  remainder  of  the  day.  The  Bedawin  that 
we  were  going  to  annihilate  turned  out  to  be  two  gipsy 
tinsmiths  who  were  stealing  down  the  ravine  to  the 
village  below,  when  the  eagle  eye  of  our  "  Sudud " 
discovered  them. 

We  reached  Muhin  before  sunset,  and  pitched  our  camp 
beside  a  copious  fountain.  The  water  was  warm  and 
slightly  sulphurous.  Few  Europeans  had  passed  that  way 
before,  and  the  people  of  the  village  swarmed  about  us, 
more  curious  than  civil.  They  were  Moslems  of  the  surly 
kind. 

Muhin  stands  on  a  little  hill,  and  on  the  highest  part, 
west  of  the  houses,  there  are  the  remains  of  an  ancient 


'  ^1 

sudud's  vaulting  ambition. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  29 

church.  The  building  was  about  twenty  paces  long  and 
sixteen  paces  broad,  and  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  feet 
high.  The  circular  end  of  the  church  was  towards  the 
north-west,  and  from  the  middle  of  the  side  wall  on  either 
side,  all  round  the  circular  end,  there  were  pilasters  with 
pedestals  and  Corinthian  capitals.  A  piece  had  fallen  out 
of  the  circular  end,  but  there  still  remained  seven  pilasters 
on  one  side  and  five  on  the  other  intact.  The  church  is 
still  very  perfect,  and  is  unlike  any  other  building  I  have 
seen  in  Syria.  From  the  top  we  had  a  magnificent  view 
of  the  whole  country,  from  the  Wall  of  Lebanon  to  the 
Gate  of  Palmyra,  and  we  were  able  to  take  bearings,  and 
mark  out  our  line  of  march  for  the  morrow. 

About  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  were  startled  by 
a  horrid  din  in  the  village :  every  huriian  being  that  could 
scream  screamed ;  every  dog  barked  to  the  utmost  limit 
of  his  capacity ;  every  hoi-se  that  could  make  a  clatter 
on  the  rocks  galloped  hither  and  thither.  An  alarm  of 
Bedawin  had  been  given,  and  the  people  were  gathering 
in  their  flocks  for  safety,  and  preparing  to  defend  their 
threshing-floors.  As  we  were  close  by  the  threshing-floors, 
we  had  a  fair  prospect  of  seeing  play;  but  we  kept  our 
beds  till  morning,  and  by  the  time  we  were  ready  to  rise 
the  noise  had  all  died  away. 

The  Bedawin,  as  we  found  out  afterwards,  made  their 
attack,  but  not  on  Muhin. 

Every  year  the  people  of  these  regions  go  to  the  Hauran 
during  the  harvest.  The  men  reap  for  wages,  and  their 
wives  and  daughters,  Ruth-like,  glean  after  them.     This 


30 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


having  been  an  unusually  bad  year,  an  unusual  number 
of  reapers  and  gleaners  had  gone  to  the  Hauran.^ 

I  here  quote  the  sequel  from  the  Levant  Herald  of 
9th  July,  1874;  "These  poor  reapers  liad  amassed  17,000 
piasters,  and  were  returning  to  their  starving  families. 
But  the  Arabs  were  informed  of  the  easy  prey  they  would 
find  in  these  unarmed  peasants.  They  waylaid  them,  and 
left  them  hardly  a  shred  to  cover  their  nakedness.  The 
Arabs  then  swept  on  unopposed,  under  their  leader  Sheikh 
Dabbous ;  and  making  a  circuit  by  Sudud,  Hawarin,  and 
Karyetein,  carried  oft"  all  the  stray  flocks  and  donkeys 
that  came  in  their  way." 

I I  have  seen  scores  of  young  Syrian  women,  from  distant  villages, 
gleaning  in  safety  after  the  rough  Bashan  reapers. 


PALMYRA   TESSERAE    BELONGING   TO   THE    LATE    M.    WADDINGTON. 


EaiTABLATURE   OF  GRAND  ENTRANCE   PORTICO,    TEMPLE   OF  THE  SUN. 


CHAPTER  V. 

'THHE  next  morning  (May  28th,  1874)  we  sent  our 
baggage  animals  and  all  impedimenta  to  Karyetein 
by  the  direct  route,  while  we  turned  out  of  the  way  with 
a  slender  escort,  to  visit  the  wonderful  hot  baths  on  a 
distant  mountain  to  the  left. 

We  rode  the  fii"st  hour  through  high-walled  gardens 
and  flat  fields  to  Hawarin,  a  city  famed  in  local  tradition 
for  its  seven  splendid  churches. 

We  were  surprised  by  the  extent  of  the  ruins  of  this 
place,  and  we  had  not  allowed  oui-selves  time  to  ex[)lore 
it  as  thoroughl}'^  as  its  importance  deserved.  I  saw  three 
large  buildings,  and  the  foundation  of  a  fourth,  called 
churches  by  the  people.  The  largest  and  most  perfect 
of  these  was  a  rectangular  building,  thirty  paces  long 
by  twenty-five  broad,  and  thirty  feet  high.  The  internal 
arrangements  of  the  building  consisted  of  a  central  hall, 
and  three  rooms  on  each  side  opening  into  the  hall.  The 
stones  in  the  walls  were  large,  but  they  seemed  to  have 
been  rifled  from  other  structures. 


32  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

From  the  numerous  foundations  of  houses,  njany  of 
them  of  massive  public  buildings,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  Hawarin  marks  the  site  of  an  important  city ;  but 
the  fragmentary  Greek  inscriptions  which  I  found 
in  my  hurried  search  gave  no  key  to  the  name  of  the 
place. 

From  Hawarin  we  rode  across  a  flat  plain  four  hours 
to  Gunthur.  All  the  district  showed  signs  of  ancient  culti- 
vation, and  were  the  people  protected  from  the  Bedawin 
and  the  Turks,  the  flats  would  once  more  wave  with 
golden  grain.  Little  patches  were  cultivated  here  and 
there,  but  not  of  sufficient  importance  to  tempt  the  hered- 
itary robbers.  Water,  the  great  desideratum  for  cultiva- 
tion, was  abundant,  though  all  the  fountains  and  channels 
were  choked  up.  At  the  water  we  found  straggling  flocks 
of  pin-tailed  grouse  ;  and  throughout  the  desert,  wherever 
we  came  upon  water,  however  small  the  quantity,  we  found 
grouse  and  snipe.  We  always  approached  little  patches 
of  desert  mai*sh  with  expectation,  and  it  required  skill 
to  bring  down  the  brace  of  snipe  which  generally  rose 
right  and  left. 

At  Gunthur  we  found,  as  usual,  a  few  wretched  huts 
on  the  site  of  what  once  had  been  an  important  town. 
The  houses  were  cone-topped,  and  at  a  distance  looked 
like  cornstacks  in  a  farmyard;  but  the  illusion  was  dis- 
pelled when  we  entered  the  square,  which  was  full  of 
dung,  in  which  a  dozen  naked  children  and  a  score  of 
mangy  dogs  were  disporting. 

The  huts  were  built  round  a  court,  so  as  to  form  a 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  33 

rampart  against  the  Bedawin,  but  there  were  breaches 
which  left  the  place  unprotected,  and  about  twelve  days 
after  we  passed,  the  Giath  and  'Amour  Bedawin  came 
through  the  place,  and  swept  it  clean  of  the  results  of  the 
late  harvest. 

At  one  corner  of  the  court  was  the  foundation  of  a  very 
solid  temple,  twenty  paces  by  fourteen,  with  two  or  three 
courses  of  the  huge  stones  still  in  their  places.  A 
larger,  more  ornate,  and  more  modern  structure  lay  in 
ruins  in  the  field  a  few  hundred  yards  to  the  north-east. 
The  peasants,  who  were  gathering  in  their  grain,  told 
us  that  the  flats  about  the  village  were  often  covered 
with  water  during  the  winter,  and  that  the  place  was 
much  frequented  by  wild  geese,  bustards,  and  wild  boars. 
Grouse  swarmed  about  the  water,  and  there  were  some 
spur-winged  plover  in  a  meadow  close  by. 

From  Gunthur  we  started  for  Solomon's  Baths,  which 
we  saw  on  the  mountain,  under  the  guidance  of  a  kindly 
old  African,  who  had  lived  long  in  that  neighbourhood, 
a  slave  under  many  masters,  and  who  was  full  of  the 
traditions  of  the  baths,  and  of  Lady  Belkis,  the  wife 
of  Solomon,  for  whom  the  baths  were  erected ! 
,  In  five  minutes  we  passed  a  fine  spring,  slightly  tepid 
and  sulphurous.  In  half  an  hour  we  reached  the  base 
of  a  low  mountain,  and  after  ascending  the  mountain 
diagonally  for  about  half  an  hour,  we  came  to  considerable 
ruins  on  its  eastern  summit.  The  only  inhabitants  of 
the  ruins  that  we  saw  were  a  fox,  a  hare,  and  a  covey 
of  partridges. 


34  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

The  exact  position  of  the  place,  which  is  called  Abu 
Reb&h,  is  due  north  of  Karyetein,  a  distance  of  three  and 
a  quarter  hours,  or  about  ten  miles  as  the  crow  flies. 
Having  made  a  general  tour  of  the  neighbourhood  in 
quest  of  partridges,  some  of  which  I  secured  for  dinner, 
our  guide  conducted  us  to  the  wonderful  bath.  He 
first  pointed  out  to  us,  in  the  roof  of  a  vault,  an  opening 
about  a  foot  in  diameter,  the  edges  of  which  were  soot- 
stained,  and  through  which  issued  a  hot  vapour. 

Descending  from  the  roof,  which  was  on  a  level  with 
the  foundations  about,  we  passed  through  a  low  entrance 
into  an  arched  vault  eight  or  ten  feet  square.  The 
walls  and  roof  of  the  vault  were  scribbled  over  with 
Greek  by  the  Browns,  Joneses,  and  Robinsons  of  two 
thousand  years  ago.  The  literature  was  of  the  same 
serious  character  as  that  seen  in  many  of  our  railway  and 
other  waiting-rooms  at  home.  From  this  outer  vault 
there  was  an  opening  twenty  inches  high  into  another 
similar  vault,  and  through  the  opening  there  came  hot 
puffs  of  sulphurous  vapour.  I  crept  through  this  hole, 
but  I  was  instantly  driven  back  by  the  intense  heat. 
My  servant  then  rushed  in  boldly,  but  he  rushed  out 
quite  as  quick,  almost  suffocated,  and  covered  with  per- 
spiration from  head  to  foot.  It  was  a  case  of  what  the 
Arabs  call  "head  in  ;  tail  out." 

After  this  we  explored  more  carefully  the  inner  vault. 
In  the  centre  of  the  floor  there  was  an  opening  about 
the  same  size  and  exactly  under  that  we  saw  in  the  roof. 
Steam  came  hissing  from  the  hole  as  from   the  funnel 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  35 

of  a  ship,  and  we  could  hear  a  hissing  and  gurgling 
sound  under  the  vault,  as  from  water  boiling  over  into 
the  fire  out  of  a  great  caldron.  We  threw  stones  into  the 
furnace,  and  heard  them  descending  to  a  great  depth, 
but  a  piece  of  paper  thrown  in  was  instantly  shot  out 
by  the  current  of  the  vapour. 

Previous  to  our  visit,  Omar  Bey,  a  Hungarian  officer, 
had  let  down  a  brazen  vessel  into  the  orifice  by  a  rope ; 
but  the  vessel  was  snatched  from  the  rope  by  the  Jan, 
left  by  King  Solomon  to  keep  the  water  boiling!  Our 
faithful  guide  lost  his  good  opinion  of  us  when  we  sug- 
gested that  perhaps  the  fire  had  burned  it  off.  Indeed, 
he  ever  afterwards  looked  upon  us  with  that  suspicion 
which  is  the  reward  of  all  who  are  foolish  enough  to 
think  differently  from  their  neighbours. 

West  of  the  bath,  in  the  ravine,  there  is  a  large  reser- 
voir, the  roof  of  which  is  supported  on  five  rows  of 
arches  resting  on  buttresses  of  solid  masonry.  All  traces 
of  water  are  gone,  but  the  cement  on  the  walls  remains 
white  and  firm,  and  is  scrawled  over  with  thousands  of 
hieroglyphics,  which  are  mostly  the  wasm,  or  tribe- 
marks,  of  the  Bedawin. 

Judging  from  the  foundations  of  the  ruins,  the  houses 
appear  to  have  been  very  small,  and  they  were  doubtless 
used  as  lodging-houses  for  invalids  and  others  visiting 
the  baths,  for  the  only  attraction  to  such  a  barren  knoll 
was  its  heated  vapour.  Abu  Rebah  must  have  been  once 
an  important  sanitarium,  and  the  bath  has  still  a  very 
high  reputation  for  its  healing  powers.     It  is  considered 


36  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

infallible  in  rheumatic  complaints,  and  in  the  case  of 
barrenness,  and  is  much  resorted  to  in  the  present  day. 
Men  are  said  to  be  carried  to  the  bath  confirmed  invalids, 
and  after  spending  a  night  in  the  vault,  return  home  on 
their  own  feet. 

In  descending  the  mountain  from  the  baths  we  started 
several  very  small  whitish  hares,  and  saw  many  holes 
of  foxes  and  jackals.  The  ground  was  strewed  with  rock 
crystals,  which  glanced  like  diamonds  in  the  sunlight. 
A  low  range  of  hills  screened  Karyetein  from  our  view, 
but  we  had  steered  our  course  by  a  peak  which  we  knew 
was  in  a  line  with  the  village.  In  the  bright  atmosphere 
the  distance  seemed  as  nothing,  yet  it  was  a  most  weary 
ride  across  a  level  plain,  which  was  all  seamed  with 
footpaths,  some  of  which  had  been  trod  by  Abraham  and 
his  emigrants. 

We  passed  several  abandoned  Bedawi  encampments, 
but  we  saw  no  living  thing  in  a  ride  of  over  three  hours, 
except  a  few  hares  and  bustards,  and  an  occasional  eagle 
hastening  overhead  to  its  prey.  On  reaching  Karyetein, 
however,  we  learned  that  we  must  have  passed  under 
the  very  noses  of  the  plundering  Bedawin,  who  were 
hovering  about  our  path  in  the  mountains. 

My  teacher,  whom  I  had  sent  on  with  the  baggage  in 
the  morning,  had  announced  our  approach  in  Karyetein, 
and  a  most  cordial  welcome  was  given  us.  The  civil 
and  military  chiefs  of  the  place  turned  out  in  their  best 
to  do  us  honour,  and  the  people  were  profuse  in  their 
thanks  for  the  school  which  we  had  come  to  establish 
among  them. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


37 


The  supposition  that  Kaiyetein  is  the  Hazar-enan  of 
Scripture  (Num.  xxxiv.  9,  10)  is  probably  correct, 
but  the  identification  of  the  place  with  the  Greek  town 
Koradsea  is  a  mistake.  Two  Greek  inscriptions  (one 
on  a  long  stone,  now  over  the  gateway  of  a  Moslem  house, 
and  the  other  on  the  pedestal  of  a  column  in  the  sheikh's 
court)  give  the  name  of  the  place  as  Nazala. 

The  discovery  of  this  name  gave  rise  to  a  fresh  exam- 
ination of  the  Peutinger  Itinerary,  when  it  was  found 
that  the  name  reprinted  "  Nehala  "  was  "  Nazala  "  in  the 
original.  The  name  "  Karyetein "  is  dual,  and  simply 
means  "two  towns,"  and  one  can  see  both  the  old  and 
the  new  town.  About  a  mile  south-west  of  the  present 
town,  near  the  foot  of  a  low  mountain,  there  is  a  splen- 
did fountain  called  "  Ras  el-'Ain."  Around  this  fountain 
was  built  the  old  town,  Hazar-enan  ("the  enclosure  of 
fountains").  Close  by  the  fountain  —  or  fountains,  for 
there  are  a  number  of  them  —  there  is  a  large  artificial 
mound,  on  which  are  the  massive  foundations  of  a  temple. 
The  building  was  twenty-one  paces  long  and  sixteen 
broad,  and  some  of  the  stones  of  the  foundation  were  eight 
feet  in  length.  On  one  of  the  largest  stones  there  is  a 
well-cut  trident.  A  short  distance  north-east  of  the 
mound  there  is  the  base  of  a  square  building  about  forty- 
eight  paces  each  way.  The  lower  story  of  this  building 
was  vaulted,  and  the  stones  remain  in  their  places,  as  they 
were  too  heavy  to  be  removed  to  the  new  town,  which 
is  chiefly  built  of  mud.  It  is  not  improbable  that  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Fountain  Village  moved  to  a  distance 


38  PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 

from  the  fountain  to  enjoy  a  quiet  life,  such  fountains 
being  the  scene  of  constant  strife. 

At  the  fountain  were  flocks  of  grouse,  and  a  few  snipe, 
and  I  got  a  very  small  bittern,  which,  through  the  zeal 
of  my  companion,  is  now  in  the  museum  of  the  Protestant 
Syrian  College,  Beyrout.  The  ground  was  full  of  pottery, 
and,  among  other  relics  of  antiquity,  I  picked  up  on  the 
Tell  two  fine  flint  knives.  We  need  not,  however,  rush 
into  theories  about  the  %tone,,  bronze^  and  iron  ages,  for 
a  famous  sheikh  of  the  Bedawin,  to  whom  I  showed  my 
treasures,  assured  me  that  such  knives  were  still  used  by 
his  people. 

Karyetein  contains  about  three  hundred  houses,  and 
one-fifth  of  the  inhabitants  are  Christians,  chiefly  Syrian 
Jacobites.  The  schoolmaster,  for  whom  all  had  been 
petitioning  and  importuning,  had  arrived,  and  only  one 
man  in  the  place  (the  Christian  priest)  opposed  the 
opening  of  the  school. 

In  all  places  where  a  missionary  opens  a  school  in 
Syria  he  opens  at  least  two ;  sometimes  indeed  all  the 
sects  open  schools  in  self-defence.  The  opposing  priest, 
under  pressure  of  circumstances,  and  in  a  fine  spirit  of 
enterprise,  opened  a  school  himself;  but  as  the  work 
was  not  quite  in  his  line,  besides  being  hard,  our  teacher 
had  all  the  pupils  to  himself  in  a  few  days,  and  Mos- 
lems and  Christians  learned  to  read  the  story  of  Christ's 
love  and  passion,  sitting  side  by  side.  I  hoped  also  to 
induce  the  Bedawin  to  send  their  children  to  this  school 
in  the  centre  of  the  desert,  but  sevei-al  blood  feuds  had 
first  to  be  settled  before  such  a  thing  was  possible. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  39 

The  people  of  Karyetein  are  a  fine-looking  race  of  men, 
—  especially  the  princelings  of  the  ruling  family.  They 
hunt  and  hawk,  and  are  as  good  horsemen  as  the  Bedawin, 
and  better  shots.  They  resemble  the  Bedawin,  but  have 
much  more  bone  and  sinew.  Their  independence  has 
been  developed  thoroughly  by  resisting  the  encroachments 
of  the  Turks  and  the  Bedawin ;  but  of  late  a  Turkish 
garrison  has  been  placed  among  them,  and  their  acquies- 
cence has  been  secured  by  giving  them  appointments  of 
command  and  trust. 

The  civil  and  military  chiefs  are  very  great  people  in 
Karyetein,  and  we  had  to  attend  carefully  to  all  the 
punctilios  of  receiving  and  returning  visits.  Long 
negotiations  in  the  matter  of  guide  and  guards  had  to 
be  conducted  with  as  much  diplomacy  as  might  have 
sufficed  for  the  cession  of  a  duchy.  It  was  at  last 
arranged  that  we  were  to  have  an  equal  number  of  civil 
and  military  guards  —  that  is,  regular  soldiers ;  and  irregu- 
lar mounted  police. 

The  guide  was  a  difficult  question  to  decide;  for  each 
of  the  authorities  had  one  to  recommend, —  "  the  only  one  " 
who  knew  the  path  to  'Ain  el-Wu'ul,  —  and  as  it  was 
understood  that  the  proteg^  was  to  share  his  fee  with  his 
patron,  our  dragoman  was  placed  in  a  delicate  situation. 


jrirjrjrjriy  j^-^^'^j^^  ii  i  it  riLLiLii  m 


TOTaTit-nrnrnnn-nnirui  .u  iu  m  xu  iu  xa  m  m  urrni^  iii  m  Aii^Uiili^TCTran 


HllEflfKolSlE 


SOFFIT   OF   CORNICE    IX    LITTLE   TEMPLE. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


ALL  things  having  been  arranged,  —  for  negotiations 
-^^-  even  in  the  desert  come  to  an  end,  —  we  struck 
our  tents,  and  started  from  Karyetein  on  the  30th  of 
May,  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Our  object  was 
to  break  the  journey  at  'Ain  el-\Vu'ul  ("  fountain  of  the 
Ibexes"),  a  reputed  fountain  in  the  mountains  to  the 
right,  half  way  to  Palmyra  from  Karyetein.  The  exist- 
ence of  this  fountain  was  kept  a  secret,  so  that  people 
might  employ  camels  to  carry  water,  and  our  innovation 
was  looked  upon  with  great  disfavour. 

Gazawy  compromised  the  matter  by  taking  a  few  water- 
carriers,  at  a  very  high  charge.  Our  cavalcade  was  led 
out  across  the  river  at  the  town  mill,  wobbled  about 
through  ploughed  fields  for  a  time,  and  at  last  turned 
Palmyra-ward  into  the  desert. 

We  had  now  assumed  the  dimensions  and  character 
of  an  invading  army.  We  were  not  stealing  through  the 
desert  under  cover  of  the  darkness,  but  forcing  our  Avay 
where  we  pleased  and  at  our  leisure. 


PALMYRA    AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  41 

"  Brandy  Bob,"  a  captain  in  the  infantry,  was  com- 
mander-in-chief of  our  military  escort.  He  rode  a  vicions 
mule,  with  only  a  halter,  and  without  stirrups,  carried 
a  single-barrelled  fowling-piece  about  eight  feet  long, 
and  a  bottle  of  brandy  in  each  pocket,  d  la  Gilpin. 
He  had  a  habit  of  alighting  abruptly,  not  always  on  his 
feet,  but  that  may  have  been  the  mule's  fault,  or  the 
brandy's.  His  soldiers  were  all  mounted  and  equipped 
in  the  same  unceremonious  manner  as  himself. 

Irregular  police  in  Syria  are  a  very  irregular  force 
indeed.  Nominally  in  government  service,  they  are  ready 
to  take  a  turn  at  throat-cutting  for  anybody  who  employs 
them,  and  they  are  the  free-lances  or  government  ban- 
ditti of  the  country.  If  there  is  a  prospect  of  plunder, 
they  will  join  a  Bedawi  raid,  and  by  their  arms,  such  as 
they  are,  contribute  to  the  victory. 

On  my  first  tour  to  Palmyra,  our  irregular  escort 
proceeded  to  rob  every  individual  they  saw  in  the 
desert.  Remonstrance  on  our  part  was  of  little  avail, 
for  our  protectors  replied  that  they  had  only  agreed 
to  take  us  safely  to  Palmyra,  not  to  abstain  from 
taking  anything  Allah  placed  in  their  way.  On  the 
whole,  we  had  such  a  guard  as  might  have  been  safely 
trusted  to  make  short  work  of  any  party  weaker  than 
themselves. 

Faris,  our  gipsy  guide,  deserves  a  passing  notice.  He 
was  a  light,  little  man,  with  crimped  hair,  sallow  com- 
plexion, coal-black  eyes,  which  were  always  on  one,  and 
a   stealthy,  silent  step,  as  if   he    were  afraid  of   waking 


42  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBJA. 

some  one  only  slightly  asleep.  He  always  seemed  drawing 
up  his  feet  from  behind,  but  he  never  let  them  get  before 
him,  lest  they  should  let  out  some  secret. 

His  mare  was  of  the  same  gipsy  cast,  a  marled  grey. 
Her  neck  was  liollowed  down  like  a  camel's  where  one 
expected  a  curve,  and  her  under  lip  hung  down  and  ex- 
posed the  teeth,  while  her  nose  and  upper  lip  were  drawn 
back,  and  had  a  curious  huffed  appearance.  Her  legs  were 
bent  the  wrong  way,  and  her  joints  were  in  the  wrong 
places,  and  she  was  so  lean,  and  wizened,  and  dry,  that 
she  seemed  to  go  nodding  and  dozing  along  without 
life  or  feeling.  They  were  an  uncanny-looking  pair, 
and  I  could  not  look  at  them  without  an  uneasy  feeling, 
and  much  curiosity. 

With  "  Brandy  Bob "  and  "  Gipsy "  at  our  head,  we 
swept  along  the  desert  in  splendid  style.  In  front  were 
two  little  mountains,  offsets  from  the  range  on  the  right. 
That  to  the  left  was  called  Khuderiyeb,  and  that  on  the 
right  B^rady,  and  we  made  straight  for  the  opening 
between  them.  We  passed  several  gazelle-traps,  near 
Karyetein.  Little  walls  converge  to  a  field  from  a  great 
distance,  increasing  in  height  as  they  approach  the  field. 
The  field  is  walled  round,  leaving  gaps  at  intervals,  out- 
side of  which  there  are  deep  pits.  The  gazelles,  led 
on  by  curiosity,  and  guided  by  the  little  walls,  march 
boldly  into  the  field,  and  when  they  are  startled,  they 
rush  out  wildly  in  a  panic,  at  the  breaches,  and  tumble 
into  the  pits.  Sometimes  forty  or  fifty  are  taken  out 
of  a  pit  alive  at  one  time. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


43 


The  desert  was  tolerably  smooth  as  far  as  the  little 
mountains,  when  it  became  more  broken  and  cut  up, 
chiefly  by  the  action  of  mountain  torrents.  The  Arabs 
reported  that  in  the  mountain  range  to  the  right  there 
were  the  remains  of  a  great  reservoir  which  once  sup- 
plied water  to  Kasr  el-Hiyar,  the  solitary  ruin  in  the 
direct  route  between  Karyetein  and  Palmyra. 

That  evening  we  had  the  finest  sunset  I  had  ever 
seen  in  the  desert.  The  western  horizon  seemed  literally 
ablaze.  Soon  the  light  blue  veil  of  the  mountains  be- 
came tinted  with  violet  and  indigo,  and  finally  settled 
into  leaden  death,  and  the  wind  came  up  cold  as  a 
Siberian  winter. 

We  held  on  our  course  bravely  till  midnight,  when 
our  column  became  very  unsteady,  and  began  to  wriggle 
about  promiscuously  over  the  desert.  The  cold  was 
intense,  and  the  bottle  passed  between  our  leaders  more 
frequently  than  was  consistent  with  their  responsible  po- 
sitions, or  than  was  expedient  for  safe  and  steady  guid- 
ing. Suddenly  we  turned  to  the  right,  and  marched 
straight  against  the  mountain,  which  we  had  been  ap- 
proaching at  an  acute  angle.  We  knew  the  fountain 
was  in  the  range  to  the  right,  but  thought  it  must  be 
at  least  two  hours  farther  on.  Gipsy,  however,  spurned 
interference,  and  assumed  all  responsibility. 

We  soon  got  into  a  maze  of  rocks,  and  after  half  an 
hour's  scrambling  through  them  and  over  them,  we 
came  right  against  the  precipitous  side  of  the  mountain. 
Gipsy  went  boldly  at  the   mountain,  with  a  few  inartic- 


44  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

ulate  words,  when,  suddenly,  he  came  down  on  his  head 
on  a  heap  of  stones,  and  the  old  horse  turned  and  made 
a  vignette  over  him.  He  lay  in  a  bundle,  motionless, 
where  he  fell,  and  when  I  asked  what  was  the  matter, 
he  hiccoughed  out,  "It's  a  hare,"  as  if  he  had  got  off 
to  catch  it. 

"Brandy  Bob's"  bottle  had  done  its  work,  and  the 
guide  was  hopelessly  drunk.  Then  commenced  a  scene 
never  to  be  forgotten.  No  one  knew  exactly  where  we 
were,  or  where  the  well  was,  but  we  spread  out  across 
the  rugged  base  of  the  mountain  after  midnight  to  look 
for  a  well  of  which  we  had  only  heard  a  report.  Our 
horses  staggered  over  precipices  and  scrambled  out  of 
ravines  in  the  most  marvellous  manner;  baggage  ani- 
mals followed  wildly  after  the  cavaliers,  stumbling  and 
rolling  over  rocks ;  the  whole  looked  like  a  steeple-chase, 
or  a  wild  stampede,  everything  magnified  by  the  black 
shadows ;  and  there  was  an  appalling  expenditure  of  ner- 
vous force,  in  the  use  of  strong  language. 

We  explored  desperately  for  about  an  hour,  which 
seemed  an  age ;  but  as  the  moon  was  hurrying  behind 
the  mountain,  and  as  we  were  only  getting  more  hope- 
lessly lost,  we  encamped  for  the  night  on  a  bare  plateau 
at  the  base  of  the  mountain. 

The  cold  was  as  intense  as  had  been  the  heat  of  the 
day ;  but  we  were  soon  in  that  happy  land  where  the  per- 
plexities of  the  day  are  forgotten.  The  night,  however, 
has  perplexities  as  real  and  as  distressing  as  those  of  the 
day,  while  they  last,  and  so  I  dreamt  of  stumbling  fran- 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA.  45 

tically  over  rocks,  and  of  being  in  imminent  danger  of 
tumbling  over  precipices,  until  a  little  Bedawi  girl  pulled 
the  door  of  my  tent  aside,  and  the  sun,  hot  as  a  furnace, 
shone  in  upon  me. 

The  little  maiden  we  called  the  "Princess,"  and  per- 
haps no  princess,  except  in  an  Eastern  tale,  ever  was 
the  bearer  of  more  joyful  news  or  more  acceptable 
gifts.  She  announced  the  lost  fountain,  and  she  bore 
in  one  hand  a  brazen  vessel  full  of  fresh  milk,  and 
with  the  other  she  led  a  snow-white  lamb. 

I  remembered  how  African  explorers,  when  hope- 
lessly exhausted,  had  been  ministered  to  by  savage 
women,  and  I  sighed  for  the  pen  of  an  African  ex- 
plorer, that  I  might  celebrate  the  praises  of  this  min- 
istering angel  of  the  desert  and  of  the  fountain.  Our 
little  angel  was  not  of  the  white  and  shining  kind ; 
she  was  dark  olive,  and  her  only  garment  was  a  blue 
calico  shirt,  close  fitting  at  the  neck,  and  extending 
far  down  the  leg.  A  blue  fillet,  wound  round  the 
head,  left  the  hair  free  to  stand  up  and  enjoy  the 
mountain  breeze,  and  beneath  the  fillet  it  fell  in 
uncombed  plaits  around  her  shoulders.  These  plaits 
were  prolonged  by  bits  of  strings,  made  of  camel's 
hair,  down  to  below  the  waist. 

Doubtless  a  revolution  has  since  taken  place  in  the 
disposition  of  Bedawi  locks  in  the  desert,  for  my 
companion  presented  the  Princess  with  an  ivory  comb, 
a  work  of  art  which  caused  in  the  encampment  no 
little  speculation  as  to  its  use. 


46  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

But  we  must  not  be  diverted  from  describing  our 
Princess,  whose  piercing  timid  black  eyes  shone 
brightly  in  deep,  sooty  sockets,  and  whose  feet,  which 
spurned  the  flint,  gave  a  fine  example  of  what  Disraeli 
called  "the  high  Syrian  instep." 

In  a  short  conversation  that  I  held  with  her,  when  pay- 
ing for  the  luxuries  which  she  brought  us,  I  noticed  that 
she  pronounced  the  letter  j  soft,  and  otherwise  spoke 
Arabic  like  a  Syrian  girl.  I  said,  "  You  are  not  a  Bedawi 
hint  (girl)  ?  "  The  Bedawin  who  accompanied  the  maiden 
to  see  that  their  gifts  were  paid  for  were  within  ear-shot, 
and  she  replied  loudly,  "  You  do  me  too  much  honour  in 
receiving  my  gifts ;  why  should  you  pay  for  them  ?  "  and 
then  in  a  low,  but  hurried  manner,  she  told  me  she  had 
been  carried  off  by  the  Beda^^^n  from  Rustan,  a  village  on 
the  Orontes,  between  Hums  and  Hamah. 

The  revelation  was  made  with  the  swiftness  of  a  light- 
ning flash.  The  acting  was  exquisite,  and  the  dramatic 
effect  instantaneous  and  startling.  I  did  not  catch  every- 
thing that  was  expressed,  but  the  hurried  and  helpless 
appeal  revealed  the  fact  that  our  "  Princess "  was  a  lit- 
tle captive  Syrian  slave,  and  I  resolved  to  rescue  and  re- 
store her.  My  sense  of  pity  as  well  as  chivalrous  instincts 
were  awaked,  and  though  I  was  in  the  land  of  the 
Bedawin  I  did  not  despair  of  success. 

The  following  nursery  song,  which  I  had  often  heard 
sung  by  Syrian  mothers,  came  to  my  recollection.  I  had 
stumbled  on  the  living  drama  in  real  life :  — 


PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  47 

THE  LULLABY.i 

Sleep,  baby,  sleep !  a  sleep  so  sweet  and  mild, 
Sleep,  my  Arab  boy,  my  little  Bedawi  child ! 
Aside  to  the  Once  I  was  a  happy  girl, 

grape  sellers.  The  Prince  Abdullah's  daughter, 

Playing  with  the  village  maids, 

Bringing  wood  and  water. 

Suddenly  the  Bedawin 

Carried  me  away : 

Clothed  me  in  an  Arab  robe, 

And  here  they  make  me  stay- 
Sleep,  baby,  sleep  !  a  sleep  so  sweet  and  mild, 
Sleep,  my  Arab  boy,  my  little  Bedawi  child ! 
Aside.  Ye  sellers  of  grapes,  hear  what  I  say ! 

I  had  dressed  in  satin  rich  and  gay ; 

They  took  my  costly  robes  away 

And  dressed  me  in  aba  coarse  and  grey. 

I  had  lived  on  viands  costly  and  rare, 

And  now  raw  camel's  flesh  is  my  fare. 

Sleep,  baby,  sleep !  a  sleep  so  sweet  and  mild, 
Sleep,  my  Arab  boy,  my  little  Bedawi  child  ! 
Aside.  Oh  !  seller  of  grapes,  I  beg  you  hear ! 

Go  tell  my  mother  and  father  dear. 
That  you  have  seen  me  here  to-day. 
Just  by  the  church  my  parents  live, 
The  Bedawin  stole  me  on  Thursday  eve. 
Let  the  people  come  and  their  sister  save, 
Let  them  come  with  warriors  bold  and  brave, 
Lest  I  die  of  grief  and  go  to  my  grave. 

I  was  only  partially  dressed  in  my  tent,  and  to  secure 
the  return  of  the  little  captive  to  our  camp  later  on,  I 

1  This  translation  is,  I  believe,  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  Jessup,  of  Beyrout. 


48  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

received  back  from  her  the  money  1  had  given  her, 
promising  to  pay  more  for  all  when  she  had  brought  us 
an  additional  supply  of  milk.  Whether  the  Bedawin 
had  heard  what  their  captive  had  said,  or  had  divined 
what  was  passing  in  my  mind,  they  had  taken  in  the 
situation  completely,  and  before  I  was  fully  dressed,  they 
had  disappeared  as  secretly  and  noiselessly  as  thej'  came. 
They  departed  without  their  money,  and  they  left  no 
trace  behind  them,  nor  could  I  get  any  information  regard- 
ing them  from  the  other  people  about  the  well. 

The  two  Bedawin'  who  had  accompanied  the  little 
"  Princess  "  were  clothed  from  head  to  foot  in  the  skins 
of  the  waHal  (ibex)  and  gazelle.  They  seemed  like 
ordinary  Bedawin  —  small,  spare,  dark  men,  with  deep- 
set,  restless  eyes,  and  noses  of  the  scimitar  type.  They 
belonged,  however,  to  the  Suleib  Arabs,  a  unique  tribe 
in  the  desert. 

At  a  remote  period  this  tribe  was  degraded  from 
exercising  the  larger  prerogatives  of  Bedawin  of  the 
higher  aristocracy.  They  do  not  make  war  on  the 
weak,  nor  rob,  except  in  a  pilfering  way,  nor  inter- 
marry with  any  of  the  other  tribes.  Many  wild  stories 
relate  the  causes  of  their  degradation,  but  that  most 
common  among  the  other  Bedawin  is,  that  they  ran 
away  from  the  siege  of  Kerbela,  leaving  their  friends 
to  be  butchered,  "and  the  cui-se  of  Allah  still  lies 
heavy  upon  them."  As  a  part  of  their  punishment, 
they  were  placed  on  the  same  footing  with  women, 
as   unworthy   to   ride    horses,   and    so    they   never    ride 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA.  49 

anything  but  donkeys;  but  the  Suleib  donkeys  (known 
as  Bagdad  donkeys)  are  the  finest  in  the  world,  and 
will  bring  from  twenty  to  forty  pounds  in  Damascus. 
They  are  the  large  and  beautiful  white  asses  which 
reach  England  by  Morocco. 

The  Suleib  Arabs,  unlike  the  other  Ishmaelites  of 
the  desert,  have  their  hand  against  no  man,  and  no 
man's  hand  is  against  them.  They  live  by  the  chase, 
and  by  the  milk  and  wool  of  their  flocks ;  and  when 
they  sell  a  donkey,  its  price  supplies  them  with  all 
they  need  from  the  outer  world.  On  the  declivities 
of  'Ain  el-Wu'ul  are  still  to  be  found  louul^  or  ibexes, 
which  they  hunt  with  great  skill.  Clothed  in  the  skin 
of  the  wa'al,  they  follow  them  from  rock  to  rock,  on 
all-fours,  until  they  shoot  them  at  short  range ;  and 
sometimes  their  disguise  is  so  complete,  that  they  even 
catch  the  gazelle  and  tvd'al  alive  with  their  hands. 

These  Suleib  Arabs  take  no  part  in  forays ;  as  one  of 
them  said  to  me,  "  Allah  has  made  enough  for  us  all,  and 
if  we  plunder  one  another,  there  will  not  be  enough  for 
us  all."  They  will  sit  on  the  ground,  impartial  spectators 
of  a  battle,  and  when  the  fight  is  over  they  will  nurse 
the  wounded  of  both  sides,  like  the  Knights  of  the 
Geneva  Cross.  When  one  tribe  is  pursuing  another, 
they  will  entertain  with  equal  but  limited  hospitality 
both  the  pui-sued  and  pursuer;  but  nothing  can  wring 
from  them  any  information  as  to  the  direction  the  fugi- 
tives have  taken.      These  Arabs  are  to  be  found  about 

the  wells   in   the   neighbourhood  of   'Ain  el-Wu'ul,  and 

4 


50  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

they  are  always  of  the  same  peaceful  and  hospitable 
character. 

Our  visitors  infofmed  us  that  the  fountain  was  about 
a  mile  farther  on  among  the  mountains,  and  so,  as  soon  as 
we  had  eaten  their  offerings,  we  moved  our  camp  forward 
to  the  foot  of  the  ravine  below  the  fountain.  We  pitched 
on  the  site  of  a  military  camp  where  Omar  Bey  had 
stationed  his  soldiers  when  he  wished  to  reduce  the  desert 
to  subjection. 

We  should  have  had  no  difficulty  whatever  in  finding 
the  fountain ;  but  our  guide  misled  us,  as  I  believe,  on 
purpose.  From  the  pass  between  the  two  little  mountains 
we  should  have  followed  a  beaten  path,  leading  gently 
to  the  right  to  the  lowest  break  in  the  mountain,  about 
three  hours  ahead.  On  our  return  we  rode  from  the 
fountain  to  Karyetein  in  ten  and  a  half  hours,  so  no  one 
need  ever  again  spend  monej'^  in  water-carriers  on  the  road 
to  Palmyra. 

We  ascended  to  the  fountain  through  a  gorge,  the 
stones  in  the  bottom  of  which  were  as  slippery  as  ice. 
Every  tribe  that  crosses  the  plain  between  Palmj^ra  and 
Karyetein  is  obliged  to  pass  up  this  gorge  for  water ;  and 
through  the  wear  of  ages  the  stones  have  become  so 
polished  that  scarcely  one  of  our  animals  went  up  to  the 
water  without  a  fall.  The  stones,  however,  were  so 
smooth  that  none  were  injured  by  falling. 

We  discovered  the  fountain  at  the  head  of  the  gorge.  It 
is  a  deep  tank  about  twelve  feet  square,  faced  round  with 
rough  stones,  and  the  water  was  about  ten  feet  lower  than 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  51 

the  surface  of  the  platform  in  which  the  tank  was  sunk, 
so  that  it  had  to  be  drawn  up,  and  placed  in  hollow  stones 
for  the  animals  to  drink.    » 

The  stones  about  the  tank  were  squared,  but  not 
chiselled,  and  though  we  saw  foundations  of  buildings, 
we  could  find  no  inscriptions.  From  between  the  high 
shoulders  of  the  gorge,  we  had  a  good  view  of  the  broadest 
part  of  the  plain  that  extends  to  Palmyi-a,  and  the  Kasr 
el-Hiyar  lay  exactly  north-west  of  the  fountain,  some  six 
or  eight  miles  distant. 

The  water  in  the  tank  was  very  green,  but  one  ceases 
to  be  fastidious  about  the  quality  of  water  in  the  desert. 
Two  cheerful  little  maidens  were  filling  skins  with  the 
green  fluid,  and  fourteen  skins  were  lying  about  filled  and 
festering  in  the  sun.  A  number  of  camels  were  squatting 
at  the  troughs,  waiting  for  some  one  to  bring  them  water, 
and  flocks  of  goats  were  pouring  over  the  cliffs  and  con- 
verging on  the  fountain. 

The  little  stagnant  pond  had  attracted  a  great  number 
of  living  things.  Partridges  scolded  us  from  the  rocks 
on  every  side,  for  interfering  with  their  beverage ;  and 
myriads  of  linnets,  of  all  kinds  and  colours,  settled  on  the 
tall  thistles,  and  awaited  our  departure ;  and  eagles  and 
vultures  and  red-beaked  choughs  soared  over  us  at  every 
altitude. 

A  little  way  over  from  the  fountain  was  the  Suleib 
encampment.  It  consisted  of  about  a  dozen  tents  —  or 
rather  a  dozen  long  pieces  of  black  haircloth,  fastened 
down  with  stones  at  the  side  next  the  wind,  and  at  the 


52  PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

other  side  propped  up  with  bits  of  sticks,  and  tied  down 
with  strings.  Beneath  the  awnings  thus  formed  women 
squatted,  horribly  tattooed,  and  filthy-looking;  and  one 
miserable  creature,  who  was  sick,  lay  on  skins,  with  a  skin 
filled  with  water  for  her  pillow.  The  dirt  of  the  tent  was 
scarcely  removed  beyond  the  tent  strings,  and  the  odour, 
at  least  to  us,  was  far  from  agreeable.  Some  of  our 
irregular  police  were  sitting  in  the  tents,  feasting  on  a 
half-roasted  sheep  that  had  been  slain  for  them. 

We  saw  none  of  the  famous  Suleib  donkeys,  and  we 
learned  with  regret  that  a  plague  had  swept  many  of 
them  away,  and  that  they  had  been  obliged  to  sell  a 
great  many  of  what  remained,  during  the  Syrian  famine. 
A  few  black  and  wretched  substitutes  stood  nodding 
about  the  tents. 

On  our  return  to  the  fountain  from  Palmyra,  we  saw 
no  trace  of  the  Suleib,  but  three  men  were  found  dying 
of  thirst  at  the  fountain.  They  had  made  their  way  to 
the  place,  but  were  too  weak  to  reach  the  water.  . 

I  was  especially  interested  in  the  Suleib  Arabs,  as  I 
thought  they  would  not  be  afraid  to  send  their  children 
to  one  of  our  schools,  in  a  border  village,  such  as  Kary- 
etein,  and  I  imagined  that  as  they  had  no  blood  feuds 
or  enemies  among  the  Bedawin,  they  might  be  employed 
to  carry  instruction  and  the  light  of  the  gospel  to  the 
other  wanderers  of  the  desert. 

They,  however,  strongly  objected  to  their  children 
quitting  the  ways  of  their  fathers ;  and  I  found,  on 
consulting  a  Bedawi  chief,  that  the  blue-blooded  Bedawin 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


53 


held  the  Suleib  in  such  contempt,  that  they  would  not 
on  any  account  allow  their  children  to  be  taught  by 
them. 

"  We  would  let  our  children  learn  from  Nasara  (Chris- 
tians), or  Jews  even;  but  that  they  should  be  taught  by 
these  low-souled,  womanish  Bedawin  —  ask  forgiveness 
from  God  for  such  a  thought ! " 

Nothing  in  the  Suleib  camp  made  such  an  impression  on 
us  as  the  exquisite  beauty  of  the  children.  Though  un- 
washed and  almost  unclad,  they  appeared  to  me  the  most 
graceful  and  the  sweetest  little  animals  I  had  ever  seen  in 
the  desert  or  elsewhere.  In  this  opinion  I  do  not  stand 
alone.  Lady  Anne  Blunt  speaks  of  a  Suleib  family  as 
follows :  — 

.  .  .  "  Two  younger  men,  his  relations,  are  exceedmgly  good  look- 
ing, with  delicately  cut  features,  and  the  whitest  of  teeth.  There  is  a 
boy,  too,  who  is  perfectly  beautiful,  with  almond-shaped  eyes,  and  a 
complexion  like  stained  ivory.  A  little  old  woman  not  more  than 
four  feet  high,  and  two  girls  of  fourteen,  the  most  lovely  little  creat- 
ures I  ever  saw,  complete  the  family." —  Tribes  of  the  Euphrates,  Vol. 
II.  109. 


SOFFIT   Sl'Pl'OKTKD    BY    FOUR   COLUMNS. 


BASSO   RELIEVO    ON    PILASTER,    TEMPLE   OF   THE   SUN. 


CHAPTER   VII. 


"IT  7E  enjoyed  a  quiet  day  at  'Ain  el-Wu'ul,  much  to 
'  *  our  own  satisfaction  and  that  of  our  animals ;  and 
on  the  1st  of  June,  1874,  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
we  started  on  the  last  stage  of  our  journey  to  Palmyra. 
The  morning  air  was  fresh  and  balmy,  the  peaks  were 
tipped  with  amethyst,  and  purple  shadows  shot  with  gold 
lay  heavy  about  the  mountains,  and  as  Ave  streamed  down 
from  the  plateau,  we  felt  buoyant  as  the  wavy  atmos- 
phere that  danced  and  floated  around  us. 

Five  hares  were  started  in  the  descent,  and  each  be- 
came the  subject  of  a  fresh  chase  and  general  fusillade, 
and  on  the  level  plain  one  hare  was  actually  run  down  and 
caught  by  a  soldier  on  a  one-eyed  horse.  That  man  was 
a  mighty  hunter,  and  his  one-e3^ed  horse  was  worthy  of 
his  rider.  On  our  return  through  Karyetein,  the  sheikh's 
son  presented  me  with  a  Pei-sian  greyhound.  In  the 
morning,  a  fox  was  seen  creeping  up  the  hill  to  the 
mountain,  and  instantly  all  our  cavaliers  started  in  i)ur- 
suit  with  a  desert  yell. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  55 

The  fox  took  in  the  situation  and  did  his  best,  and 
he  had  nearly  a  mile  of  start.  The  hunters,  from  being 
an  irregular  crowd,  soon  found  their  places  in  the  tail  of 
the  dust-comet  that  streamed  up  the  hill.  The  head  of 
the  comet  was  the  one-eyed  horse,  and  there  thundered 
in  his  track  horses  twice  his  size  and  ten  times  his  value. 
In  twenty  minutes  the  greyhound  had  reached  the  fox, 
but  did  not  know  what  to  do  with  him.  The  question 
was  soon  settled  by  the  rider  of  the  cyclopean  horse, 
who  rushed  in,  seized  reynard,  and  brought  him  back 
alive  and  in  triumph,  at  his  saddle-bow. 

At  five  o'clock  the  Gastle  of  Palmyra  rose  into  view, 
and  we  felt  delightfully  independent  of  Gipsy,  the  guide. 
We  had  a  weary  ride  before  us,  in  which  distance  was 
felt,  not  seen.  The  way  was  monotony  itself,  for  we 
had  got  almost  back  into  the  ordinary  route  of  the 
tourist.  In  some  places  the  ground  was  wavy,  and  then 
our  column  dipped  and  emerged  like  a  boat  among  bil- 
lows. At  other  places  it  was  dead  flat,  and  then  we 
marched  on,  and  on,  and  on  for  ever,  leaving  in  our  track 
a  trail  of  dust.  The  mountain  range  on  our  right  rose 
again  from  the  break  at  the  fountain,  and  stretched  on  in 
an  unbroken  ridge  to  opposite  Palmyra,  when  it  suddenly 
turned  toward  the  city  and  shut  in  the  plain. 

Across  the  plain  to  the  left,  the  edge  of  a  highland, 
or  step,  like  a  mountain  ridge,  shut  in  the  plain  on  the 
north;  and  this  ridge  also  ran  straight  to  Palmyra,  and 
then  turned  off  at  right  angles  towards  the  Euphrates. 
Sometimes  the  monotony  of  our  march  was  broken  by  a 


56  PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

spurt  after  a  hare,  or  a  shot  at  a  sand-giouse,  and  in 
crossing  a  sei7,  or  the  dry  bed  of  a  mountain  torrent,  I 
got  two  large  grey  birds,  with  big  yellow  eyes,  called 
by  the  Bedawin  darraji.,  —  perhaps  a  species  of  rock 
curlew. 

We  passed  hundreds  of  places  where  Arabs  had  en- 
camped, marked  by  stones  left  in  circles,  and  by  bones 
and  ashes  and  graves.  At  one  of  these  encampments  I 
found  beads  of  old  Damascus  manufacture,  and  a  flint 
knife  that  had  been  recently  used.  The  plain  was  a 
tawny  brown,  and  the  abundant  grass  and  herbage  of 
spring  had  been  reduced  to  powder.  A  few  spots  were 
green  in  the  distance,  but  when  we  came  up  to  them,  we 
only  found  the  el-kali  plant  growing  in  greater  abun- 
dance and  perfection  than  elsewhere. 

The  plain,  which  runs  between  mountains,  like  the 
level  bed  of  a  narrow  sea,  from  near  Karyetein  to  Pal- 
myra, varies  in  breadth  from  four  to  ten  miles,  and 
consists  of  good  soil,  which  might  be  cultivated. 

On  my  first  return  trip  from  Palmyra,  I  found  it 
carpeted  with  grass  and  flowers  to  the  fetlocks  of  the 
horees.  One  nowhere  meets  the  desert  sands  of  tradi- 
tion till  almost  at  the  entrance  to  I'almyra. 

About  two  hours  from  Palmyra,  we  were  aroused  out 
of  a  slumberous  state  by  one  of  our  soldiers  firing  off 
his  rifle,  and  rushing  about  in  an  excited  manner.  We 
galloped  up  to  him,  and  found  that  he  had  wounded  a 
large  lizard,  thirty-nine  inches  long.  It  was  horribly  ugly 
as  it  writhed  on  the  ground.     It  had  a  stuffed  look,  like 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


59 


a  Turkish  officer,  tightly  belted,  and  bulging  out  on  each 
side  of  the  ligatures.  The  skin  of  this  extraordinary 
monster  is  now  in  the  museum  of  the  Syrian  Protestant 
College,  Beyrout. 

As  we  approached  closer  to  Palmyra,  the  ruins  on  the 
hilltops  came  safely  out  of  the  mirage,  and  assumed  their 


PALMYRA    RUINS. 


permanent  forms.  Every  hour  new  structures  rose  into 
view,  and  through  the  pass,  to  which  we  were  hurrying, 
we  could  see  the  tops  of  the  colonnades  within.  Perhaps 
there  is  no  view  of  Palmyra  which  gives  so  much  excite- 
ment  as   this.      After   the   bare   monotonous   desert,  we 


6o  PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 

come  gradually  on  a  scene  of  enchantment,  and  though 
we  have  come  expressly  to  see  the  scene,  it  breaks  upon 
us  as  a  surprise ;  not  all  at  once,  but  increasing  at  every 
step  —  castle,  and  tower  and  temple,  and  serried  lines  of 
Corinthian  capitals,  seen  in  part,  and  in  such  a  way  as 
to  suggest  more,  lead  up  with  the  most  dramatic  effect 
to  the  most  splendid  dSnouement.  The  thrill  of  expect- 
ancy and  delight  is  a  rich  reward  for  all  our  fatigue. 

In  the  middle  of  the  pass,  with  a  path  on  either  side, 
there  is  a  rocky  eminence,  which  was  built  over  with 
tomb  towers.  Some  of  the  towers  are  almost  entire,  and 
of  others  there  only  remain  the  foundations.  On  the 
right  rises  Jebel  el-Mantar  ("  the  Mountain  of  the  look- 
out,") with  the  old  wall  running  up  its  narrow  ridge  to 
the  top,  and  its  base  sentinelled  about  with  huge  square 
towers.  This  mountain  terminates  suddenly  in  the  plain, 
and  the  wall  runs  down  its  south-eastern  side ;  and  after 
passing  through  Abu  Sahil,  the  vaulted  cemetery,  it  draws 
a  wide  circuit  round  the  southern  side  of  the  city. 

On  the  left  from  the  edge  of  the  pass  rises  a  chain  of 
mountains,  which  screens  Tadmor  from  the  west,  and  runs 
away  in  the  Dawara  range  towards  the  Euphrates.  The 
w^all  took  the  course  of  the  highest  summits  of  this  range, 
and  after  enclosing  the  castle,  turned  sharp  in  a  south- 
easterly direction,  and  curved  round  the  city  till  it  met 
the  wall  coming  up  from  the  south-west.  This  wall, 
which  can  be  easily  traced,  is  no  doubt  that  of  the  city 
in  its  palmiest  days,  and  should  always  be  kept  in  mind 
when  estimating  the  greatness  of  the  Palmyra  of  Zenobia. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


6i 


On  the  north-east  side  the  outer  wall  is  about  nine 
hundred  yards  beyond  the  modern  Roman  wall.  Travellers 
generally  express  their  disappointment  at  the  smallness 
of  Palmyra ;  but  they  form  their  estimate  of  its  magni- 
tude by  the  small  oblong  space  enclosed  within  the 
Justinian  wall,  less  than  three  miles  long.  While  the 
city  had  no  special  claim  to  celebrity  on  account  of  its 


THE   TEMPLE   OF   THE   SUN. 


size,  in  that  respect  even  it  was  not  insignificant,  as  the 
old  walls  which  we  have  pointed  out  were  from  ten  to 
thirteen  miles  in  circumference,  and  the  enclosed  space 
was  closely  packed  with  human  habitations,  many  of  them 
of  the  most  splendid  description. 
\  As  we  swept  through  the  pass,  Tadmor  lay  beneath  us  ; 
and  its  ruins,  which  seemed  graceful  and  fantastic  as 
frostwork  on  glass,  stretched  out  for  more  than  a  mile 
I  before  us,  and  ended  in  the  massive  Temple  of  the 
!Sun. 

On  the  left,  the  yellow  mountains  towered  over  it ;  and 


62 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


on  the  right,  green  gardens  of  palm  and  olive  surged 
around  it.  On  the  outer  side,  these  gardens  are  girt  by 
the  desert,  which  stretches  away  to  the  horizon,  smooth 
as  the  sea,  and  the  yellow  sands,  which  shimmer  golden 
in  the  sunlight,  are  flecked  by  the  silver  sheen  of  exten- 
sive  salt  lakes. 


FRAGMENT   UF   A    TE.Ml  LE. 


FALLEN   CAPITAL. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


\  T  7E  hastened  over  prostrate  columns,  and  along  silent 
^  ^  streets,  till  we  reached  the  beautiful  little  temple 
called  the  "  Temple  of  the  King's  Mother."  Here  we 
descended  from  our  horses  at  half-past  three  o'clock  p.m., 
having  made  the  journey  from  'Ain  el-Wu'ul  in  about  ten 
and  a  half  hours'  actual  riding. 

This  little  temple  commands  an  excellent  view  of  the 
ruins,  and  so  we  pitched  our  camp  beside  it,  and  my  bed 
was  spread  within  its  once  sacred  fane.  I  had  thus  ample 
leisure  by  starlight  and  sunlight,  to  study  what  Miss  Beau- 
fort, in  her  pleasant  book,  called  "a  little  gem  of  a  temple, 
almost  perfect  in  form,"  and  which  is  still  beautiful, 
though  without  the  fluted  columns  which  she  attributed 
to  it. 

The  temple  was  sixty  feet  long,  including  the  portico, 
and  about  twenty-seven  feet  broad.  Its  projecting  roof 
in  front  was  supported  by  six  columns  with  Corinthian 
capitals ;  and  in  the  walls  there  were  half  columns  and 


64 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


pilasters,  so  arranged  as  to  break,  by  light  and  shadow, 
the  monotony  of  a  flat  surface.  Each  column  had  a 
bracket,  on  which  once  stood  a  statue ;  and  there  are 
inscriptions  on  the  faces  of  the  brackets,  one  of  which 
contains  the  names  of  Hadrian  and  Agrippa,  and  a  date 
corresponding  to  130  of  tlie  Christian  era. 

This    dedication   took   place   the   same  year    in  which 
Hadrian  erected  a  temple  to  Jupiter  at  Jerusalem,  and 


THE  TEMPLE   OF  THE   KING  S   MOTHEE. 


about   nine  years   after  the   building  of   Hadrian's  wall 
between  the  Tyne  and  Solway  Firth. 

In  that  year  Hadrian  visited  Palmyra,  and  in  an  inscrip- 
tion he  is  called  the  "  God  Hadrian  " ;  and  Palmyra  took 
to  itself  the  name  of  the  god,  and  was  known  for  a  time 
as  "  Hadrianopolis." 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


65 


The  door  of  our  temple  was  nine  and  a  half  feet  wide, 
and  its  jambs  and  lintels  were  monoliths,  adorned  with 
a  tracing  of  the  ^g^  and  dice  pattern.  There  were  win- 
dows on  each  side  of  the  door,  with  bevelled  and  pro- 
jecting stone  frames,  and  there  were  similar  windows  in 


UPRIGHT   OF   SIDE    DOOR   OF   GREAT   TEMPLE. 


each  side  wall  of  the  temple.  The  whole  edifice  once 
stood  on  a  raised  platform ;  but  the  sand  and  ruins  have 
silted  up  round  it,  taking  away  from  its  height,  and 
giving  it  a  slightly  heavy  look. 

Half  a  score  of  similar  temples  lie  prostrate  among 
the  ruins  here  and  there,  showing  even  in  their  fallen 
estate,  by  the  grace  and  grandeur  of  their  fragments,  how 
much  they  surpassed  this,  which  doubtless  stands  a  soli- 
tary specimen  to-day,  owing  to  its  having  sacrificed  airy 
beauty  to  solidity  and  strength. 

Right  in  front  of  our  little  temple  stood  the  great 
Temple  of  the  Sun.  Its  northern  wall  rose  before  us  to 
a  height  of  seventy  feet,  and  hid  from  our  view  all  the 
glories  within.  The  blank  wall  was  broken  by  pilasters 
with  curved  capitals,  which  supported  a  solid  projecting 


66  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

entablature,  and  there  were  windows  between  the  pilasters 
which  were  all  closed,  except  one,  through  which  some  of 
the  superfluous  dung  of  the  village  within  was  ejected. 

The  strong  outer  wall  gave  the  temple  something  «of 
the  character  of  a  fortress ;  and  tliis  was  necessitated 
by  the  position  of  the  city,  surrounded  as  it  was  by  the 
wild  hordes  of  the  desert,  and  subject  to  the  sudden 
incursions  of  the  Parthians  from  the  east.  The  Moslems 
changed  the  temple  into  a  real  fort,  by  building  up  the 
windows,  and  raising  a  square  tower  over  the  splendid 
portico. 

This  magnificent  old  temple,  I  shall  not  attempt  to 
describe  in  detail.  It  covered  about  six  hundred  and 
forty  thousand  square  feet  of  ground,  and  in  going  round 
it  you  walk  more  than  a  mile.  The  entrance  doorway, 
which  was  beautifully  sculptured,  was  thirty-two  feet 
liigh  and  sixteen  feet  wide,  and  its  jambs  and  lintels 
were  each  single  stones.  Around  the  court,  near  the 
outer  wall,  were  rows  of  columns,  seventy  feet  high,  to 
the  number  of  three  hundred  and  seventy-four,  and  these, 
like  the  other  columns  of  Palmyra,  had  brackets  for  the 
statues  of  those  whom  the  Tadmorenes  delighted  to 
honour.  Within  the  spacious  square  enclosed  by  these 
colonnades  stood  a  beautiful  building  on  a  raised  plat- 
form, ascended  by  a  flight  of  stone  steps,  and  surrounded 
by  a  single  row  of  fluted  columns  with  Corinthian  capitals 
in  bronze. 

This  was  the  temple.  Its  length  north  and  south  was 
about  forty  paces,  and  its  breadth  nearly  sixteen  paces. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


67 


The  entrance  was  in  the  western  side,  and  at  the  other 
end  there  was  what  might  be  called  the  Holy  of  Holies. 
The  ceiling  in  this  naos,  or  innermost  part  of  the  temple, 
still  remained  entire,  exhibiting  the  most  lovely  designs 
with  zodiacal  signs  and  the  most  perfect  carving  to  be 
seen  in  Tadnior.  Indeed,  this  temple  is  the  chief  triumph 
of  the  .Tadmor  artists ;  and  at  the  time  Zenobia  used  to 


li  feet  e  inches. 


CEILING   OF   THE   HOLY   OF   HOLIES,    TEMPLE   OF   THE   SUN. 

grace  its  steps  surrounded  by  her  brilliant  court,  it  must 
have  been  an  object  of  surpassing  splendour. 

The  great  polished  columns  in  the  temple  alone,  if 
placed  end  to  end,  would  have  formed  one  column  nearly 
six  miles  long;  and  the  statues,  if  drawn  up  in  form, 
would  have  presented  about  the  same  numbers  as  a  regi- 
ment of  the  line.     We  can  well  understand  how  Aurelian 


68  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

spent  such  vast  sums  —  three  hundred  pounds'  weight  of 
gold  and  eighteen  hundred  pounds'  weight  of  silver,  as 
well  as  the  crown  jewels  of  Zenobia  —  to  repair  this 
temple,  which  had  been  injured  by  his  soldiers. 

Let  us  look  at  the  temple  in  its  present  state.  As 
we  approach  it  in  front,  we  see,  over  the  patched  and 
broken  walls,  columns  standing,  and  leaning  about  at 
every  angle,  as  though  the  temple  enclosure  were  a  huge 
lumber-yard  of  columns.  Around  the  outer  wall  is  a 
deep  ditch,  and  the  entrance  is  reached  by  a  raised  cause- 
way flagged  with  broad  stones,  among  which  I  recog- 
nized a  panelled  stone  door.  The  sheikh  and  a  crowd 
of  his  people  are  sitting  on  stones  in  the  gate.  Camels 
and  mules  pass  in  and  out,  and  women  with  jars  of 
water  on  their  heads,  and  babies  on  their  shoulders,  enter 
the  enclosure.  The  men  are  tall,  and,  as  it  seems  to  me, 
have  a  Jewish  cast  of  features.  The  women  are  coaree 
featured,  but  not  very  ugly,  and  they  all  blacken  their 
eyebrows  and  blue  their  lips. 

Within,  we  find  the  whole  area  of  the  temple  filled 
with  clay-daubed  huts,  so  that  we  can  only  get  an  idea 
of  the  place  by  climbing  over  them.  We  pass  on  straight 
to  the  Holy  of  Holies,  which  we  explore  with  our  hand- 
kerchiefs held  to  our  noses,  for  the  inmost  shrine  is 
the  cesspool  of  the  community. 

We  hurry  out  to  the  fresh  air;  but  it  is  not  fresh, 
for  all  the  offal  and  filth  of  the  liouses  are  flung  out 
into  the  narrow  lanes,  and  lie  rotting  in  the  sun. 
Wherever  we  go  among  these   human  dens  there   reek 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


71 


filth  and  squalor,  and  the  hot  pestiferous  atmosphere 
of  an  ill-kept  stye.  Such  is  now  the  state  of  that  gor- 
geous temple  which  the  proud  Tadmorenes  raised  to 
their  gods,  which  were  no  gods,  and  Avhere  they  glori- 
fied one  another  in  monuments  of  perishable  stone. 

Looking  at  the  ruins  of  Tadmor,  one  wonders  at  the 
rage  that  must  have  existed  for  columns.  Little  houses 
had  their  tiers  of  little  columns,  and  great  houses  had 


TRIUMPHAL  ARCH. 


their  tiers  of  correspondingly  great  columns.  Public  edi- 
fices for  civil  and  religious  uses  had  their  quota  of  lofty 
columns.  Little  streets  and  public  squares  all  had  their 
rows  of  columns ;  and  wherever  you  move,  columns  with- 
out number  block  your  path.  They  lie,  in  some  places, 
like  trees  swept  together  by  a  flood  into  heaps ;  at  other 
places  they  protrude  from  the  sand,  or  stand  up  in  solitary 
grandeur,  having  no  apparent  connection  with  anything  else. 


72 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


The  column  mania  found  its  fullest  expression  in  the 
great  colonnade  of  the  principal  street.  This  street  inter- 
sected the  city,  running  almost  in  a  line  between  the  Temple 
of  the  Sun  and  the  Castle.  The  end  next  the  temple  com- 
menced with  a  splendid  triumphal  arch,  and  after  extend- 
ing towards  the  mountain  for  about  four  thousand  feet, 
terminated  in  what  is  now  a  maze  of  prostrate  columns. 

The  triumphal  arch  consisted  of  a  large  central  and 
two  side  arches,  from  which  ran  four  rows  of  columns, 

forming  a  central  broad- 
way  and  sidewalks. 
About  half  Avay  down 
the  street,  a  little  below 
the  arcade  which  cuts 
the  colonnade  at  right 
angles,  there  are  four 
massive  pedestals,  on 
which  probably  stood 
equestrian  or  other  stat- 
ues of  enormous  magni- 
tude ;  and  near  this  spot, 
on  both  sides,  are  splen- 
did ruins,  which  local 
tradition  makes  the  pal- 

SIDE   AKCHWAY   OF   TKIUMPHAL  ARCH.  aCC      Of       "  Sltt      Zciuab  " 

(Lady  Zenobia)  and  the  judgment-hall. 

Independent  of  the  colonnades  that  branched  off  right 
and  left,  this  one  street,  with  its  sidewalks,  must  have 
had  about  fifteen  hundred  columns.     These  columns  were 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA.  73 

fifty-seven  feet  high,  and  were  composed  of  three  great 
drums,  which  supported  Corinthian  capitals  and  massive 
ornate  entablatures.  Between  the  second  and  third  drum 
there  was  a  section  of  a  column  inserted,  with  a  pro- 
truding bracket  for  the  reception  of  a  bust  or  statue,  and 
on  the  fronts  of  these  brackets  were  inscriptions  in  Greek 
and  Palmyrene,  giving  the  names  of  the  persons  whose 
statues  graced  the  pedestals. 

On  two  columns  side  by  side,  near  the  central  arcade, 
are  two  inscriptions  of  the  greatest  interest.  The  one 
records  the  dedication,  by  his  generals,  of  "a  statue  to 
Septimius  Odainathus,  king  of  kings,  and  regretted  by  the 
whole  city " ;  and  the  other  is  a  dedication  to  his  wife, 
"  Septimia  Zenobia,  the  illustrious  and  pious  queen." 

In  the  Palmyrene,  under  the  Greek,  we  find  Zenobia's 
Palmyrene  name  —  Bath-Zabbai,  the  daughter  of  Zabbai. 

Both  statues  were  raised  in  the  month  of  August 
A.D.  271,  only  a  short  time  before  the  fall  of  the  city. 

What  a  splendid  city  Palmyra  must  have  been  in  its 
palmy  days,  when  the  victorious  hosts  of  Odainathus 
returned  laden  with  the  spoils  of  Oriental  kings,  and 
marched  in  glittering  array  through  the  long  colonnades, 
beneath  the  statues  of  illustrious  Palmyrans !  Or  when 
the  fiery  Bath-Zabbai  flashed  through  those  corridors  in 
her  gilded  chariot,  surrounded  by  her  martial  courtiers 
and  fair  companions !  Or  when,  with  bare  arms  and 
helmet  on  head,  with  all  the  pomp  of  real  or  mimic  war, 
she  sallied  forth  on  her  shining  Arab  to  review  and 
harangue  her  warriors  on  the  sandy  plain ! 


CEILING    OF   TOMB   TOWER. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


T  ET  us  pass  on  to  the  examination  of  the  famous 
-■ — '  tombs,  the  most  interesting  objects  in  Palmyra, 
lest  we  be  supposed  to  have  also  caught  the  column 
mania. 

On  my  first  visit  to  Palmyra,  I  arrived  equipped  for  a 
thorough  exploration  of  the  tombs.  Sir  Richard  Burton, 
who  had  visited  the  ruins  before  me,  urged  me  to  take 
ladders  and  ropes  and  grappling-irons,  for  the  ascent  of 
the  towel's,  which  he  had  been  unable  to  examine  for  lack 
of  such  appliances.  In  accordance  with  this  advice,  I 
made  ample  preparations.  A  trusty  carpenter  was  em- 
ployed to  make  three  thirty-foot  ladders ;  choice  poplar 
trees  were  carefully  split  up  and  fitted  with  oak  rounds 
from  Bashan.  Powerful  hemp  ropes  were  specially  manu- 
factured, and  mighty  grappling-irons  were  prepared.  I 
sometimes  thought  if  I  could  get  up  the  ruin  so  as  to 
fit  on  the  grappling-irons,  I  might  be  able  to  dispense 
with  them  altogether;   but  then,  what  is  the  use  of  fol- 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA.  77 

lowing  advice  by  halves?  So  I  did  as  1  was  advised, 
that  nothing  might  be  wanting  to  enable  me  to  reach 
those  lofty  resting-places  of  the  dead,  which  all  my  prede- 
cessors had  sighed  in  vain  to  ransack. 

I  had  once  had  some  skill  in  climbing  to  rooks'  nests, 
but  I  was  not  then  quite  thirteen  stone  weight.  I  deter- 
mined, however,  that  in  this  case  the  right  hand  should 
not  forget  its  cunning,  and  for  weeks  before  our  depart- 
ure for  Palmyra  I  kept  running  up  eighty-foot  ladders 
like  a  hodman,  and  climbing  the  slack  rope  like  a  middy. 
A  large  grey  mule  was  provided  to  carry  the  scaling- 
apparatus  to  Palmyra. 

That  mule  was  a  wag.  He  would  rush  into  the  centre 
of  a  crowd,  with  the  ladders  on  his  back,  stop  suddenly, 
and,  with  the  most  comical  expression  on  his  countenance, 
wheel  right  round,  and  make  a  clean  sweep  of  the  party. 
And  sometimes  he  would  take  a  fancy  to  a  cavalier,  and 
go  tilting  after  him,  down  the  plain  at  full  speed,  evi- 
dently with  intent  to  ram  him  down. 

Remonstrance  was  unavailing,  for  a  thirty-foot  ladder 
reaches  further  than  a  whip  ;  and  with  his  load  of  ladders 
he  would  go  point  blank  at  the  most  wrathful  horseman. 

A  Turkish  soldier,  who  had  got  a  punch  in  the  back, 
rushed  up  valiantly  to  chastise  "  the  father  of  ladders," 
as  the  mule  was  called ;  but  before  he  reached  the  object 
of  his  wrath  a  sweep  of  the  ladders  unhorsed  him,  to  the 
great  amusement  of  all  the  spectators. 

I  advise  future  travellers  who  go  by  the  old  monoto- 
nous road,  to  take  a  mule  laden  with  ladders,  for  ours 


78  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

gave  us  more  than  he  cost  in  amusement;  and  the  cry, 
"  There  is  the  father  of  ladders,"  was  the  most  potent 
spell  to  drive  away  sleep,  and  save  us  from  breaking  our 
necks. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  consternation  with  which  I  first 
saw  the  tomb-towers.  There  they  towered  up  to  heaven, 
more  than  one  hundred  feet  high,  most  of  them  horribly 
cracked  and  toppling  over ;  even  the  stones  seemed 
rotten.  And  was  I  to  throw  a  grappling-hook  over  those 
lofty  pinnacles,  and  commence  slack-rope  practice  up  those 
"bowing  walls,"  which  were  only  waiting  for  an  excuse 
to  fall? 

Around  the  base  of  the  mountains,  on  all  sides,  these 
huge  towers  of  death  lifted  their  heads  aloft,  grim  and 
inaccessible.  I  was  in  a  dreadful  dilemma.  If,  on  the  one 
hand,  I  attempted  to  scale  the  towers,  I  was  certain  to 
break  my  neck ;  and  if  I  failed,  I  was  certain  to  become 
an  object  of  ridicule  to  my  party,  who  placed  to  my  credit 
all  the  eccentricities  and  misdemeanours  of  the  "  father 
of  ladders,"  and  who  had  already  some  misgivings  about 
my  sanity. 

What  was  to  be  done  ?  I  thought  of  pointing  out  the 
awkward  questions  that  might  be  raised  by  my  insurance 
company  in  case  of  an  accident  on  the  slack  rope,  or  of 
explaining  the  irreparable  loss  my  family  and  church 
would  sustain  should  anything  untoward  happen ;  but 
I  knew  that  I  could  not  get  the  barbarians  to  comprehend 
what  was  meant  by  a  company  to  insure  people  against 
dying,  and  pay  them  when  they  were  dead,  and  I  believed 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA.  79 

that  they  would  look  very  lightly  on  what  I  considered  a 
loss! 

I  kept  my  secret,  and  for  three  days  explored  every- 
thing that  could  be  explored  in  Palmyra  —  interviewed 
the  inhabitants  from  a  missionary  point  of  view,  measured 
columns,  stepped  distances,  explored  cellars,  bought 
antiques,  copied  inscriptions,  and  wrote  copious  notes, 
but  never  once  went  near  the  towers,  all  the  time  looking 
for  some  DexLS  ex  machind  to  extricate  me  from  my  diffi- 
culty —  some  blood-thirsty  razzia  by  the  Bedawin,  or  some 
other  dreadful  thing,  which  might  render  the  exploration 
of  the  towers  impossible.  Every  time  my  eye  caught  the 
ladders,  or  the  towers,  my  heart  sank  within  me. 

"  When  are  you  going  to  do  the  towers  ? "  said  one  of 
our  party,  sarcastically.  The  question  could  be  put  off  no 
longer.  Notice  was  given  that  forty  men,  with  pickaxes, 
spades,  and  baskets,  would  be  employed  on  the  following 
morning,  at  six  piasters  for  the  day  each.  The  following 
morning,  before  the  sun  had  tipped  the  towers  with  gold, 
one  hundred  men  were  surging  about  our  tent,  drawn  by 
the  prospect  of  earning  a  shilling  each.  I  began  to  pick 
out  the  strongest  looking,  and  those  who  had  the  best  tools, 
and  to  set  them  apart  from  the  crowd ;  but  suddenly  the 
whole  crowd  would  move  across  to  join  the  chosen  few. 
After  an  hour  spent  in  vainly  trying  to  make  a  selection, 
the  crowd  hit  upon  a  solution.  "Give  us,"  said  they, 
"  three  or  four  piasters  apiece,  and  take  us  all."  Eighty 
were  easier  taken  than  forty,  and  so  we  lessened  the  fee, 
and  doubled  the  number  of  workmen. 


8o  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBTA. 

It  was  the  saddest  sight  I  saw  at  Tadmor,  the  number 
of  idle,  able,  hungry  men,  wanting  employment,  and 
willing  to  work,  and  the  fields  lying  uncultivated.  But 
did  any  enterprising  man,  with  capital,  attempt  to  utilize 
the  resources  of  the  place,  the  Turks  would  encourage 
him  by  taxing  every  tree  he  planted,  and  by  holding  him 
responsible  for  all  arreare  incurred  before  he  was  bom 
while  the  place  was  unoccupied. 

One  old  man,  whom  we  were  going  to  reject,  held  out 
his  withered  arms,  and  jumping  off  the  ground,  with  a 
force  that  might  have  shaken  out  his  few  remaining  teeth, 
shouted,  "  Let  me  go ;  let  me  earn  three  piasters ;  I  can 
work  as  well  as  any  of  them." 

The  plucky  old  man  got  his  three  piasters,  and  was  one 
of  the  most  useful  of  the  party. 

We  started  for  the  invasion  of  the  tombs,  a  motley  but 
formidable  band.  Six  men  were  told  off  to  the  ladders, 
two  to  the  ropes,  and  the  remainder,  in  companies  of  eight, 
were  placed  under  the  charge  of  our  military  guards. 
We  were  a  noisy  multitude,  as  we  swarmed  down  through 
the  ruins  to  disturb  the  bones  of  the  haughty  Palmyrans  ; 
and  it  was  my  last  hope,  that  sliould  the  towers  prove 
unscalable  we  might  somehow  take  them  by  screaming, 
as  the  French  took  the  Bastille. 

We  first  proceeded  to  Abu  Sahil,  the  most  ancient 
cemetery,  south  of  the  entrance  to  Tadmor.  Here  were 
groups  of  towers,  and  the  plain  all  round  was  full  of 
mounds,  which  were  supposed  to  mark  the  position  of 
large  excavated   cave-tombs.     According   to    local   tradi- 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 


8i 


tion,  a  camel  passing  over  one  of  these  had  once  suddenly 
disappeared,  having  fallen  through  the  roof  into  the  tomb. 


TOMB   TOWEE. 


Immense  treasures,  especially  in  works  of  art,  were  alleged 

to  have  been  found  in  that  tomb. 

6 


82  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

Our  ten  companies  of  eight  were  told  off,  under  their 
military  leaders,  to  drive  shafts  into  the  most  promising 
mounds,  and  prizes  were  offered  on  a  graduated  scale  to 
the  first,  second,  third,  etc.,  companies  who  should  strike 
fresh  tombs.  The  digging  detachments  commenced  with 
a  will,  and  we  left  them  under  the  generalship  of  one 
European,  supported  by  eight  Turkish  soldiers,  and 
started  for  the  towers.  We  began  quietly  with  the 
smallest  towers,  and  proceeded  steadily  to  the  largest, 
and  in  less  than  three  hours  of  hard  work,  we  had  thor- 
oughly explored  them  all.  I  stood  on  the  top  of  every 
tower,  and  we  had  only  twice  recourse  to  the  ladders ; 
and  even  then  I  think  we  might  have  dispensed  with 
them.  The  ropes  were  used  for  measuring,  and  the 
grappling-irons  were  not  used  at  all. 

I  can  now  assure  all  those  who  sighed  to  explore  the 
upper  stories  of  the  tomb-towers,  and  whose  imaginations 
revelled  in  their  undisturbed  treasure,  that  the  highest 
recesses  had  been  ransacked  before  I  scaled  them,  and 
that  nothing  remained  but  a  few  mutilated  mummies 
and  a  great  number  of  bones  and  skulls. 

We  brought  away  a  number  of  skulls,  choosing  those 
that  seemed  most  unlike  each  other,  and  one  mummy 
very  carefully  wrapped  up  in  many  folds  of  cloth,  of  a 
texture  and  colour  much  resembling  what  is  used  in  Pal- 
myra at  the  present  day.  The  bodies  had  all  been 
embalmed,  and  all  the  skulls  were  full  of  olive  stones 
broken. 

We  srvw  jpany  pieces  of  broken  statuary,  but  it  was  as  a 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  83 

rule  so  stiff  and  conventional  that  we  could  not  mucli 
blame  the  barbarian  iconoclasts.  The  pieces  were  gen- 
erally of  a  woman  reclining  on  a  couch,  raised  on  lier 
elbow,  attended  by  a  fawn,  and  receiving  a  cup  from  tlie 
hand  of  a  slave  who  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  couch.  So 
common  was  this  type,  with  slight  variations,  that  one 
would  suppose  the  Tadmor  belles  never  did  anything 
but  recline  on  couches,  with  a  stereotyped  simper  on 
their  faces,  and  receive  sherbet  from  deferential  slaves. 

The  towers  were  all  of  the  same  type,  some  of  them 
being  large  and  others  small ;  some  of  them  well  finished, 
and  others  of  undressed  stones.  I  give  two  pictures  of 
the  most  perfect  of  these  monuments,  and  they  may  be 
used  to  correct  Wood  and  Dawkins'  plan  of  the  same 
monuments,  which  are  drawn  somewhat  out  of  proportion. 

Great  liberties  have  been  taken  by  tourists  with  this 
monument.  It  is  said  to  have  been  erected  by  Crlelios, 
though  the  man  had  his  name  written  up  lamliehos,  twice, 
both  in  Greek  and  Palmyrene  as  plain  as  a  signboard, 
so  that  he    that  runneth   might  read.     Tlie   date,  ^  also, 

1  Wood  and  Dawkins  gave  the  date  of  this  monument  as  314  of 
the  Seleucidse  era,  corresponding  to  the  second  year  of  the  Christian  era ; 
and,  as  far  as  I  am  aware,  all  who  have  written  on  Palmyra,  except 
Waddington,  have  followed  their  reading.  The  inscription  is  written 
above  the  door,  as  well  as  on  the  table  beneath  the  niche  on  the  facade. 
Wood  and  Dawkins  declare  that  inasmuch  as  the  shape  of  the  letters 
contradicted  "a  rule  established  by  antiquaries,"  they  "were  careful  in 
examining  the  date,  which  is  yery  legible  in  both  inscriptions."  I  have 
twice  examined  the  date,  and  I  have  it  in  photogi-aph,  and  it  cor- 
responds to  82  of  the  Christian  era,  not  2,  as  Wood  and  Dawkins 
assert. 


84  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

is  given  eighty  years  too  early,  and  tlieories  in  archaeology, 
and  on  the  ante-Roman  refinement  of  the  Palmyrans, 
have  been  founded  on  the  mistake.  The  mausoleum  is 
a  marvel  inside  of  beautiful  carving  and  rich  colours ;  but 
as  it  has  often  been  described,  we  shall  pass  to  another, 
and  taller  one,  which  has  attracted  less  the  attention  of 
tourists,  and  which  I  explored  very  thoroughly. 

Kasr  eth-Thuniyeh  is  thirty-three  and  a  half  feet  square 
at  the  base,  and  twenty-five  feet  eight  inches  square 
above  the  basement.  Its  height  is  one  hundred  and 
eleven  feet,  and  it  comprises  six  stories,  reached  by  stone 
stall's  now  much  broken  down.  It  has  also  underground 
an  immense  vault,  full  of  bones  of  wild  animals  and 
men,  with  pieces  of  mummy  cloths,  etc.  Opposite  the 
door,  down  the  centre  of  the  building,  there  is  a  long 
hall  with  a  very  beautiful  panelled  stone  ceiling.  In 
each  side  of  the  hall  are  four  recesses  in  the  wall,  about 
the  length  and  breadth  of  a  large  coffin.  Shelves  were 
placed  in  these  recesses,  leaving  room  for  dead  bodies 
to  be  run  in  between  them.  The  upper  stories  were 
like  the  first,  except  that  they  were  not  so  ornate,  and 
contained  more  recesses  in  the  sides,  some  of  them  as 
many  as  eight.  My  companion,  Mr.  Cotesworth,  found 
by  actual  counting  that  there  were  places  for  four  hun- 
dred and  eighty  bodies  in  this  one  tower.  Any  one  with 
a  steady  head,  who  can  jump  across  a  chasm  six  or  seven 
feet  wide  and  one  hundred  feet  "deep,  need  not  fear  to 
reach  the  top  of  this  monument,  and  he  will  be  well 
rewarded  for  his  pains. 


TOMB   TOWER. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  87 

From  the  toi)  of  the  tower  he  will  get  his  best  idea  of 
the  ruins  and  dimensions  of  Palmyra.  In  moister  regions 
ivy  and  moss  soon  wrap  ruins  about  so  closely  that  they 
cannot  be  seen  ;  but  here  every  polished  shaft  lies  where 
it  fell,  as  clean  as  it  left  the  hands  of  the  workman,  so 
that  he  will  have  a  bird's-eye  view  of  all  the  ruins,  in 
their  desolate  grandeur;  and  even  where  the  sand  has 
covered  the  streets  and  foundations  of  houses,  he  will  be 
able  to  trace  the  exact  position  which  they  occupied.  He 
will  be  able,  also,  to  trace  the  outer  wall  of  Zenobia's 
Tadmor,  and  to  conjecture  the  points  at  which  the  final 
struggle  with  Rome  took  place. 

Having  thoroughly  done  the  towers,  we  returned  to 
the  diggers,  and  found  that  they  had  toiled  with  about 
the  same  success  as  ourselves.  In  nearly  every  place 
the  barbarians  and  wild  beasts  had  preceded  us.  The 
mummies  had  been  torn  from  tlieir  cerements,  and  their 
bones  scattered  through  the  vaults.  Skulls,  mutilated 
statuary,  consisting  chiefly  of  reclining  females  with  pine 
cones  in  their  hands,  coins,  and  clay  tablets,  with  Pal- 
myrene  inscriptions,  were  our  rewards. 

One  little  terra-cotta  scarab  which  I  picked  up  with 
other  tessarse  in  a  tomb-vault  proved  to  be  of  more 
than  ordinary  interest.  It  resembled  the  Palmyra  tab- 
lets in  colour  and  form,  and  I  was  not  at  once  aware 
of  the  importance  of  my  find,  but  in  looking  over  my 
collection  in  the  tent,  I  saw  that  one  of  the  little 
objects  was  Egyptian,  and  at  a  later  period  I  became 
convinced  that  I  had  actually  discovered  a  scarab  of  the 


88 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


renowned  Tiihakah.     Tiihakah  is  twice  mentioned  in  the 

Bible.i 

Hezekiah  and  his  people  were  hard  pressed  by  Senna- 
cherib, but  the  boastful  As- 
syrian heard  that  Tirhakah, 
King  of  Ethiopia,  had  come 
to  fight  against  him,  and  he 
returned  to  Nineveh,  where 
he  was  slain  by  his  own 
sons.  These  references  in 
the  Bible  are  of  the  most 
casual  character,  and  I  could 
hardly  bring  myself  to  be- 
lieve that  I  had  actually 
found  at  Palmyra  a  record 
of  the  mysterious  Egyptian 
monarch  who  had  flourished 

more  than  twenty-five  hundred  years  before. 

Being  fully  alive  to  the  improbability  of  any  relic  of  the 

great  Tirhakah  being  found  in  a  Palmyra  tomb,  and  know- 
ing how  ready  some  at  home  Avould  be  to  trip  me  up  if 

I  blundered,  I  did  not  proclaim  my  find 

publicly ;  but  I  sent  the  scarab  to  the 

British  Museum  by  my  friend,  the  Rev. 

Greville  Chester,  and  the  late  Dr.  Birch 

read  the  inscription  as  follows :  — 
"...    of  Amen,  Tirhakah,  he  has 

given  thee  eternal  life." 


PALMYRENE   FIGURE. 


SEAL    OF    TIRHAKAH. 


1  2  Kings  xix,  9,  and  IsaiaL  xxxvii.  9. 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA.  89 

On  May  4th,  1880,  Dr.  Birch  read  a  paper  on  Tir- 
hakah  before  the  Society  of  Biblical  Archaeology,  and 
referring  to  the  scarab,  said:  "As  the  little  object  has 
much  the  same  appearance  as  the  other  (Palmyra) 
objects,  it  is  difficult  to  conceive  how  it  came  there,  or 
if  it  is  an  indication  that  the  conquests  of  Tirhakah 
extended  as  far  as  Palmyra."  ^ 

Tirhakah,  who  was  a  very  powerful  monarch,  seems  to 
have  begun  his  reign  about  688  B.C. 

There  is  a  very  touching  reference  to  his  prosperity 
in  an  Egyptian  inscription.  At  a  very  early  age  he  left 
Ethiopia  and  proceeded  northward,  and  he  seems  to  have 
made  his  way  to  the  throne  while  still  a  youth.  His 
mother,  who  had  remained  behind  in  Ethiopia  for  a  time, 
followed  him  north,  and  when  she  overtook  him,  she 
found  him  King  of  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt.  He 
extended  his  conquests  to  distant  lands.  Strabo  says  he 
penetrated  as  far  as  the  Pillars  of  Hercules.  A  statue 
at  Boulak  mentions  among  his  conquests,  the  Bedawin, 
the  Hittites,  Aradus,  the  Phoenicians,  the  Assyrians,  and 
Mesopotamia.  The  Temple  of  Thebes  and  the  Fane  of 
Mount  Barkal  and  other  Egyptian  monuments  attest 
the  splendour  of  Tirhakah's  reign. 

One  slab,  discovered  by  us  in  an  underground  tomb, 
contained  two  figures,  two  feet  three  inches  high,  both 
holding  up  one  bunch  of  grapes  between  them.  It  had 
also  Palmyrene  inscriptions^  between   the   heads    of   the 

'  Transactions,  Vol.  VII.  p.  208. 

2  The  inscription  between   the   heads  of    the   figures    reads    thus : 


90 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


statues  and  beneath  their  feet,  and  the  drapery,  like  that 
of  all  the  other  figures,  was  of  many  folds  and  creases. 

( )n  the  lower  corner 
( )f  a  somewhat  simi- 
!ar  slab  I  saw  in 
\ery  minute  Greek 
I  he  name  of  the 
establishment  that 
supplied  the  orna- 
ment. 

Crossing  the  Abu 
Sahil  Cemetery,  I 
noticed  a  hole  made 
by  a  fox  or  a  jackal, 
at  the  base  of  one 
of  the  mounds.  I 
threw  a  stone  into 
tlie  hole,  and  heard 
it  rolling  down  a  con- 
BAALATGA  AND  'alliasija.  sidcrablc     distancc. 

The  spirit  of  adventure  was  roused,  and  squeezing  myself 


"Images  of  Baalatga  and  'Alliasha,  children  of  Buna,  son  of  Jashubi." 
The  inscription  below  the  figures  reverses  and  amplifies  the  other :  "  In 
the  month  of  Kanun  [November],  year  40G  [04  a.u.].  These  two  like- 
nesses are  those  of  'Alliasha  and  Baalatga,  children  of  Buna,  son  of 
Jashubi,  son  of  Belsazar,  son  of  Hiram  —  Habal."  The  last  word  corre- 
sponds to  our  Vale,  or  Bequiescat  in  pace.  The  tablet,  which  was  too- 
heavy  for  us  to  carry,  was  brought  to  Damascus  by  the  Russian  consul, 
to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  the  photograph  from  which  the  engraving  is 
taken.     The  cnsrraved  slab  is  now  in  St.  Betersbur";. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  91 

through  the  hole  with  some  difficulty,  and  sliding  down 
gently,  I  suddenly  dropped  seven  or  eight  feet,  into  a  pitch 
dark  dungeon.  I  thouglit  I  had  fallen  a  much  greater 
distance ;  indeed,  in  the  unknown  darkness,  I  thought,  in 
my  descent,  I  was  never  going  to  reach  the  bottom. 

Having  recovered  from  the  shock  of  the  fall,  I  lighted 
a  piece  of  magnesian  wire,  and  found  myself  amply 
rewarded  for  my  abrupt  tumble,  by  the  marvellous  scene 
that  met  my  view. 

By  the  bright  light  I  saw  that  I  was  in  a  low-browed 
vault,  surrounded  by  the  mouldering  remains  of  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  Palmyrans.  The  vault  was  sixty 
feet  long  by  twenty-seven  wide,  and  seven  or  eight  feet 
high.  There  were  nine  recesses  for  bodies  on  either 
side,  and  five  at  the  lower  end.  The  recesses,  in  length 
and  general  dimensions,  resembled  the  locidi  in  the  tomb- 
towers  which  we  had  already  explored;  but  they  were 
cemented  down  the  sides,  and  each  had  five  shelves  of 
hard-baked  pottery  fitted  and  cemented  into  them. 

On  these  shelves  the  embalmed  corpses  of  the  Pal- 
myrans were  laid,  the  bodies  having  been  rammed  in 
head  foremost,  with  their  feet  out.  As  I  looked  around 
this  silent  and  awful  resting-place  of  the  dead,  I  could 
not  help  thinking  that  Isaiah  may  have  had  in  view  such 
a  charnel-house  when  he  described  the  commotion  that 
would  be  caused  by  the  arrival  of  the  Chaldean  monarch : 
"  Hell  [s/ieoZ]  from  beneath  is  moved  for  thee  to  meet 
thee  at  thy  coming ;  it  stirreth  up  the  dead  for  thee " 
(Isa.  xiv.  9). 


92 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


My  magnesian  wire  soon  burned  to  the  end,  but  before 
it  was  exhausted  I  had  time  to  make  the  accompanying 
ground  plan  of  the  vault,  on  a  piece  of  cigarette  paper 
which  I  happened  to  have  in  my  pocket. 


MURTlAllY    VAULT. 


When  the  bright  light  went  out,  the  darkness  became 
palpable.  I  struck  my  few  remaining  matches,  one  after 
another,  but  they  only  served  to  disclose  the  dense n ess 
of  the  gloom.  I  was  in  a  veritable  trap  of  death.  The 
hole  through  which  I  had  descended  was  several  feet 
beyond  my  reach.  I  had  been  a  considerable  time  in 
the  pit,  but  the  minutes  seemed  hours,  and  it  was  clear 
that  none  of  my  party  knew  anything  of  my  position. 
In  the  still  darkness,  I  heard  the  beating  of  my  own 
heart  distinctly. 

After  a  few  minutes  of  bewilderment,  it  became  appar- 
ent that  I  must  depend  on  my  own  efforts  to  effect  my 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  93 

escape  from  the  awful  charnel-house.  I  began  at  once 
to  draw  the  pottery  shelves  from  under  the  skeletons,  to 
form  a  step  by  which  to  reach  the  hole  at  the  top.  It 
was  not  pleasant,  in  the  darkness,  to  grope  among  the 
bony  skeletons,  sometimes  putting  my  hands  on  a  skull, 
and  sometimes  on  the  fleshless  toes  of  a  foot. 

I  tried  to  set  up  the  longest  tiles  on  their  ends,  laying 
others  across,  and  propping  up  the  structure  with  shin- 
bones  and  other  fragments  of  skeletons ;  but  the  erection 
came  down  when  I  tried  to  mount  it,  and  I  found  that 
it  would  be  necessary  to  build  up  a  solid  mass  of  the 
tile  shelves.  The  tiles  were  about  an  inch  thick,  and  I 
knew  that  there  were  one  hundred  and  fifteen,  but  some 
of  them  were  so  well  cemented  into  their  places  that  I 
could  neither  draw  them  out  nor  break  them. 

It  soon  became  a  struggle  for  life,  and  in  the  darkness 
I  lost  a  good  deal  of  time  in  finding  the  exact  spot  on 
which  to  place  the  tiles  when  I  had  succeeded  in  drawing 
them  from  under  the  fleshless  skeletons. 

In  the  midst  of  my  operations,  I  heard  footsteps 
overhead.  I  made  all  the  noise  I  could,  singing  the 
Druze  Avar-song,  which  carries  a  great  burden  of  sound. 
I  heard  voices,  and  believed  I  was  heard ;  but  the  sound 
of  voices  and  of  the  footfalls  died  away. 

I  resumed  my  labours  with  a  feeling  of  consternation. 
I  do  not  think  I  was  much  troubled  with  superstitious 
feelings,  but  I  worked  so  hard  that  the  perspiration 
dropped  from  my  face. 

Suddenly,    to   my   great   joy,   many   voices   and    more 


94 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


numerous  footsteps  returned.  Some  of  the  Palmyrans 
who  had  heard  me  underground  declared  with  alarm 
that  the  dead  were  being  disturbed,  and  that  they  were 
shouting  for  the  "  Sheikh  Ibn  el-Hamdan " ;  and  some 
of  my  people,  who  had  missed  me,  hearing  the  report, 
and  recognizing  a  bit  of  my  desert  Druze  song,  came 
hurrying  off  to  jRnd  me. 

A  rope  with  a  grappling-iron  was  let  down  the  hole. 
I  put  my  foot  on  the  hook,  using  it  as  a  stirrup,  and 
holding  by  the  rope,  I  was,  after  a  little  trouble,  drawn 
out  once  more  into  the  light  of  day.  I  had  been  absent 
scarcely  an  hour,  though  the  time  of  my  detention  in 
the  darkness  seemed  an  age. 


PALMYRENE   FIGURE. 


SOFFIT   IX   TKMPLE   OF   THE   SUX. 


CHAPTER  X. 

T  HAD  spent  eight  hours  among  the  tombs  above 
-■-  ground,  and  one  hour  with  the  dead  in  the  darkness. 
I  was  much  in  need  of  a  bath,  and  one  of  the  finest 
baths  in  the  world  was  at  hand. 

We  hurried  to  the  fountain  called  Ephca,  south  of  the 
entrance  of  the  city,  and  plunged  in.  The  water  was 
warm,  but  not  uncomfortably  so,  and  one  soon  ceased  to 
be  distressed  by  the  disagreeable  smell  of  sulphur.  It  was 
a  part  of  our  plan  to  explore  as  far  as  possible  this  sub- 
terranean river,  and  so,  leaving  a  guard  at  the  entrance, 
I  swam  in  with  a  candle.  The  river  turned  in  somewhat 
to  the  right,  under  Jebel  el-Mantar.  Sometimes  the  roof 
rose  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  above  the  water,  and  sometimes 
it  was  so  close  to  the  water  as  scarcely  to  leave  me  room 
to  pass.  The  breadth  varied  from  seven  to  twelve  feet, 
and  in  several  places  where  I  dived  to  the  bottom  I  esti- 
mated the  depth  to  be  from  eight  to  ten  feet. 

As  I  proceeded,  the  wq,ter  becanae  sensibly  warmer  and 


96  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

the  air  more  difficult  to  breathe,  and  the  flame  of  the  candle 
grew  smaller  and  smaller,  and  finally  went  out  altogether. 
I  estimate  that,  I  had  penetrated  between  four  and  five 
hundred  feet,  and  the  cavern  still  continued  broad  and 
deep ;  but  when  the  light  went  out,  I  was  left  in  darkness 
that  might  be  felt. 

There  is  no  resting-place  after  one  leaves  the  entrance, 
as  the  water  has  scooped  out  and  undermined  the  per- 
pendicular sides,  and  the  water  is  not  buoyant ;  but  as 
it  is  warm,  one  can  stay  in  it  a  long  time  without  receiv- 
ing any  harm.  I  floated  out  of  the  darkness,  having 
received  no  harm  except  a  few  bumps,  and  having  spent 
in  the  water  about  an  hour  and  a  quarter.  I  question, 
however,  if  it  would  be  possible  to  penetrate  into  the 
cavern  much  further  than  I  went,  owing  to  the  sulphurous 
atmosphere. 

The  aqueduct  seems  to  be  natural.  The  sides  and  roof 
are  composed  of  a  gravelly  clay,  which  seems  to  be  always 
falling  in ;  and  I  saw  no  traces  of  man,  except  at  the 
entrance,  where  there  is  some  cutting  in  the  rock  to  let 
the  water  out.  An  altar  which  stood  at  the  mouth  of  the 
cavern  gave  it  the  name  Fount  Eplica.  The  date  of  tlie 
dedication  of  the  altar  was  the  20th  of  October,  162  a.d. 
The  grotto  is  much  used  as  a  bath  still,  and  we  seldom  vis- 
ited it  without  startling  from  their  bath  the  nymphs  of  the 
village ;  and  I  am  told  that  the  Bedawin  are  so  fond  of 
it  that  a  number  of  them  are  drowned  in  it  every  year. 

A  considerable  volume  of  water  issues  from  the  cavern 
and  forms  a  little  river.     A  sliglit  steam  rises  from  the 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  97 

water,  and  the  stones  are  stained  by  the  sulphur ;  but 
after  passing  over  the  sandy  bed  of  the  stream  for  a  few 
hundred  yards,  the  water  loses  much  of  its  disagreeable 
taste.  It  is  used  chiefly  for  washing,  and  for  irrigating 
the  gardens ;  but  it  is  also  drunk,  and  considered  whole- 
some by  the  natives. 

The  fountain  of  Ephca  has  been  erroneously  supposed 
to  have  been  the  principal  source  of  the  city's  water 
supply.  To  the  left  of  the  entrance  to  Palmyra  there  are 
the  ruins  of  an  aqueduct  of  massive,  well-dressed  stones, 
which  once  brought  water  to  the  city  proper.  This  was 
constructed  to  contain  a  volume  of  water  eight  feet  high 
by  four  feet  broad.  Near  the  same  place  there  passed 
into  the  city  an  underground  aqueduct,  which  was  con- 
ducted down  the  middle  of  the  grand  colonnade.  It  is 
first  tapped,  not  far  from  the  triumphal  arch,  at  a  depth 
of  eight  or  ten  feet  below  the  pavement,  and  it  flows  out 
of  the  city  north  of  the  Great  Temple,  and  is  used  for  all 
purposes,  especially  for  irrigation. 

This  water  is  drawn  from  a  fountain  called  Abu  el- 
Fa  waris,  which  lies  about  five  miles  due  west  of  the 
Castle  of  Tadmor.  The  water  is  good,  but  perceptibly 
impregnated  with  sulphur;  and  as  all  the  channels  have 
been  choked  up  for  hundreds  of  years,  people  busy  them- 
selves in  conjecturing  whence  the  Palmj'rans  got  their 
water  supply.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  Abu  el-Fawaris 
fountain  was  their  chief  source ;  but  the  waters  of  Ephca 
were  also  utilized,  and  the  houses  had  cisterns  for  rain- 
water, as  we  discovered  in  several  places. 


98  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

The  Castle  of  Palmyra  is  perhaps  the  most  conspicuous 
object  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  well  deserves  a  visit,  not 
on  its  own  account,  but  on  account  of  the  unparalleled 
view  which  it  commands.  We  rode  up  the  mountain  to 
near  the  top,  and  when  it  became  too  steep  for  our  horses, 
we  left  them  with  a  guard  and  proceeded  on  foot.  '  A 
deep  ditch  surrounds  the  castle,  and  partridges  were 
sunning  themselves  about  its  edges. 

We  climbed  up  into  the  castle  by  the  rough  face  of 
an  almost  perpendicular  rock ;  but  we  saw  the  remains 
of  a  broken  bridge  across  the  ditch,  which  once  gave 
easy  access  to  the  castle,  and  there  are  still  marks  of 
horses  having  been  stabled  within  it. 

The  castle  stands  on  the  highest  peak,  on  the  highest 
summit,  impregnable  to  any  force  in  the  desert ;  but  the 
present  structure  is  built  of  small  stones  quarried  out  of 
the  ditcli  and  rifled  from  the  ruins,  and  is  doubtless  a 
late  effort  of  the  Moslems. 

The  castle  is  still  entire,  and  the  rooms,  which  were 
arched  and  cemented,  are  all  in  a  good  state  of  preserv- 
ation. From  its  battlements  we  had  an  uninterrupted 
view  on  all  sides.  The  Dawara  range  ^  of  mountains, 
on  which  we  stood,  stretched  away  north-east  to  the 
Euphrates,  and  beyond  as  far  as  the  Tigris ;   and  near 


1  On  some  maps  the  mountain  range  north  of  Tadnior  is  called  Jebel 
Amur.  As  it  approaches  the  Euphrates  it  is  called  Jebel  Bisshari ; 
beyond  the  Euphrates  it  is  called  Jebel  Abdularis ;  and  as  it  stretches 
toward  Mossul  it  has  the  name  Jebel  Sinjar.  Dawara  was  the  name  by 
which  the  range  was  known  to  my  guides  at  Palmyra. 


CASTLK   END   OF   THE   GREAT   COLONNADE. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  loi 

the  eastern  base  of  the  mountains  we  saw  the  village  of 
Arak,  with  about  fifteen  huts  and  a  Turkish  garrison. 

We  could  distinctly  trace  the  old  walls  of  Tadmor 
extending  down  the  mountain,  from  outside  the  castle, 
in  a  south-eastern  direction,  and  curving  round  the  city. 
Away  beyond,  east  and  south,  was  the  flat,  yellow  desert, 
patched  and  seamed  with  glistening  salt.  Far  to  the 
south,  past  the  shoulder  of  Jebel  el-Mantar,  stood  a  soli- 
tary tower,  called  Kasr  el-Hazun  ;  and  on  the  horizon 
beyond,  there  appeared  a  low  range  of  mountains,  known 
as  Jebel  el-'Aleib.  To  the  west,  over  a  wavy  highland  of 
limestone  hills,  we  could  distinctly  discern  through  the 
blue  mists  the  lofty  outline  of  Lebanon  and  the  snows 
of  the  Cedar  mountain. 

What  a  watch-tower  from  which  an  enemy  might  be 
descried  while  he  was  yet  several  days'  journey  from  the 
place !  Beneath  ns,  the  city,  half  surrounded  by  its 
gardens,  lay  calm  as  a  city  of  the  dead,  and  supremely 
lovely  even  in  desolation.  As  we  stand  on  the  battle- 
ments we  see  at  a  glance  the  appropriateness  of  its  name. 
Tadmor  in  Syriac  means  "  wonderful,"  and  in  Arabic 
"ruin."  The  Syriac  and  Arabic  name  still  clings  to 
the  "  wonderful  ruin,"  while  the  Roman  name  Palmyi-a 
is  absolutely  unknown  to  the  natives. 

The  name  Tadmor  has  been  supposed  to  mean  in 
Hebrew  "  city  of  palm-trees,"  and  it  has  been  taken  for 
granted  that  Palmyra  is  the  Greek  translation  of  the 
word;  but  the  word  Tadmor  is  not  Hebrew,  and  the 
word  Palmyra  is  not  Greek.     The  meaning  of  the  word 


102  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

should  be  sought  for  in  the  language  of  the  people  who 
frequented  those  fountains  before  the  time  of  Solomon, 
for  though  he  built  Tadmor  in  the  wilderness,  he  did 
not  change  its  name. 

The  great  king  of  Israel,  having  extended  his  king- 
dom by  conquest  to  the  north  and  east,  "  built  Tadmor 
in  the  wilderness,  and  the  store  cities  of  Hamath."  He 
found  the  important  station  Tadmor,  in  the  desert,  sup- 
plied with  water,  and  forming  the  link  between  East  and 
West,  and  he  enlarged  and  fortified,  and  doubtless  garri- 
soned it,  the  better  to  consolidate  his  empire  and  draw 
the  wealth  of  the  Indies  into  his  little  kingdom.  Doubt- 
less Tadmor  was  then,  as  now,  an  open  and  unsafe  rest- 
ing-place for  the  bearers  of  the  commodities  he  so  much 
desired ;  and  he  made  it  not  only  a  strong  outpost,  but 
a  secure  haven. 

As  we  have  seen,  the  Bible  ^  and  local  tradition  unite 
in  declaring  that  "  Solomon  built  Tadmor  in  the  wilder- 
ness " ;  but  who  built  the  Tadmor  of  Odainathus  and 
Zenobia?  Who  polished  and  poised  those  columns  now 
s'trewed  on  the  plain  before  us?  for  not  a  vestige 
remains  of  the  Tadmor  of  Solomon.  As  being  the 
most  remote,  Tadmor  was  probably  one  of  the  first  places 
wrested  from  the  feeble  successors  of  Solomon,  and  for 

1  Once  and  only  once  (2  Chron.  viii.  4)  is  Tadmor  mentioned  iu  the 
Bible.  The  Tadmoi*  in  2  Kings  ix.  13  is  Tamar  in  the  Hebrew  text,  and 
is  said  to  be  "  in  the  /«»rf,"  and  is  now  identified  as  a  ruin  at  Kurnub  in 
the  land  of  Juda.  Every  peasant  talks  familiarly  of  King  Solomon,  and 
yet  there  is  not  a  Bible  in  the  place,  nor  would  the  inhabitants  accept  a 
copy. 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA.  103 

a  thousand  years  it  disappears  from  history,  having 
become,  in  all  probability,  a  "  wonderful  ruin "  in  the 
eyes  of  the  savage  hordes  that  encamped  about  its  foun- 
tains. Palmyra,  however,  as  the  convenient  half-way 
house  between  the  commercial  cities  of  Phoenicia  and 
of  the  Seleucidce  on  the  Mediterranean,  and  the  eastern 
realms  about  and  beyond  the  Persian  Gulf,  rose  into  a 
wealthy  and  independent  state.  Secure  in  her  surround- 
ing desert,  like  sea-girt  England,  Palmyra,  as  the  channel 
of  East  India  merchandise,  grew  in  wealth,  but  not  in 
strength ;  and  about  half  a  century  before  the  Christian 
era,  she  came  on  the  stage  of  Roman  history  for  the  first 
time,  when  Mark  Antony  attempted  to  plunder  her  mer- 
chant princes. 

For  the  next  three  hundred  yeai-s,  Tadmor  continued 
to  grow  in  wealth  and  power,  and  in  the  cultivation  of 
all  the  arts  of  war  and  peace.  Tadmor  flourished,  like 
Switzerland,  a  free  republic,  surrounded  by  mighty  and 
despotic  empires.  Her  architects  and  sculptors  adorned 
her  with  edifices  which  excite  the  wonder  of  the  world, 
and  she  became  the  congenial  home  of  the  greatest  phi- 
losopher of  his  age,  Longinus,  the  author  of  the  "  Treatise 
on  the  Sublime,"  and  the  prime  minister  of  Zenobia. 

Odainathus,  one  of  her  senators,  rose  to  the  proud 
position  of  holding  the  balance  of  power  between  Rome 
and  Parthia,  and  of  avenging  the  Roman  arms,  and  wear- 
ing the  Roman  purple ;  and  his  widow,  Zenobia,  victorious 
over  the  Roman  legions,  reigned.  Queen  of  the  East, 
from  the  Nile  to  the  Euphrates. 


I04  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBJA. 

From  the  time  of  Mark  Antony  to  the  time  of  Aure- 
lian  the  city  had  so  grown  in  strength  that  the  latter 
was  unable  to  take  it  with  his  victorious  armies,  though 
only  defended  by  the  remnants  of  Zenobia's  dispirited 
troops;  and  Tadmor  did  not  surrender  till  Zenobia,  who 
had  escaped  to  raise  fresh  succour,  was  brought  back  a 
prisoner  from  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates. 

The  golden  age  of  Tadmor's  prosperity  seems  to  have 
been  from  her  first  contact  with  the  power  of  Rome, 
until  she  was  finally  crushed  by  that  power ;  and  her 
splendid  edifices  were  the  result  of  that  wave  of  civiliza- 
tion which  was  put  in  motion  by  the  Macedonian  con- 
queror, and  continued  by  the  Romans.  Like  most  of 
the  splendid  ruins  of  Syria,  those  of  Palmyra  date  from 
the  early  centuries  of  our  era.  From  the  early  part  of  the 
second  century  the  relations  between  Rome  and  Palmyra 
became  most  intimate.  Palmyra  ministered  to  Roman 
luxury,  and  Rome  became  pledged  for  the  safety  and 
stability  of  the  merchant  city. 

In  all  ages  the  wealth  of  India  has  flowed  in  a  direct 
line  to  the  centre  of  the  world's  power.  The  centre 
of  the  world's  power  had  become  fixed  on  the  Seven 
Hills,  and  Pliny  tells  us  that  the  city  of  Rome  alone 
took  annually  one  million  sestertii  of  Indian  merchandise. 
It  is  interesting  to  trace  the  routes  across  the  desert 
along  which,  as  by  a  magnet,  Rome  drew  the  riches 
of  the  East.  One  line  passed  through  Gaza  and  Petra 
to  Forath.  A  second,  starting  from  Akka  on  the  Medi- 
terranean, ran  across  Galilee,  north  of  Nazareth,  crossed 


CENTRAL      PART      C 


3REAT      COLOXXADE. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  105 

the  Jordan  below  the  lake  of  Gennesaret,  and  struck 
direct  for  the  head  of  the  Persian  Gulf,  past  Bosra  and 
Sulkhad.  The  Roman  road  is  still  in  many  places  un- 
injured, awaiting  the  European  engineers  to  lay  down 
the  rails  on  the  shortest^  safest,  and  cheapest  overland 
route  to  India. 

The  northern  routes  from  Antioch  through  Aleppo  and 
Karrhae,  or  more  northern  still  through  Carchemish, 
Edessa,  and  Nisbis,  were  closed  to  commerce  by  cen- 
turies of  turbulence.  It  was  at  Palmyra  that  the  East 
and  West  joined  hands  in  the  mutual  benefits  of  com- 
merce. The  Tadmorenes,  like  the  English  in  our  day, 
were  the  chief  carriers  and  retailers  of  Indian  merchan- 
dise, and  Appian,  the  Roman  historian,  speaks  of  them 
with  the  same  contempt  as  the  first  Napoleon  spoke  of 
the  ^'"nation  of  shopkeepers.'"'  "They  are  merchants,"  said 
he,  disdainfully,  "who  seek  among  the  Pereians  the 
products  of  India  and  Arabia,  and  carry  them  to  the 
Romans." 

The  Tadmorenes  took  a  different  view  of  the  dignity 
of  commerce,  and  many  of  the  statues  that  sentinelled 
the  long  colonnades  were  placed  there  in  honour  of  the 
successful  leaders  of  caravans.  Thus  J.  A.  Zebeida  was 
adjudged  a  statue  in  April  147  a.d.,  by  the  merchants 
who  accompanied  him  with  the  caravan  from  Volgesia. 
Markos  had  a  statue  for  organizing  the  caravan  of 
which  Zabdeathus  was  the  conductor.  Thaimarson  was 
honoured  with  a  place  in  the  grand  colonnade,  on 
account   of    his   having  led   a  caravan   from    Karak   for 


io6  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

the  liquidation  of  an  ancient  debt  of  three  hundred  dinare. 
And  a  statue  was  erected  in  the  grand  colonnade,  in  257 
A.D.,  by  the  senate  and  people  in  honour  of  Salmalath,  for 
having  conducted  a  caravan  at  his  own  expense.  In 
several  instances,  also,  we  find  tribes  erecting  statues  to 
those  whom  they  considered  had  merited  well  of  them  ; 
so  that  the  Bedawin  seem  to  have  thrown  in  their  lot 
with  the  merchants. 

In  those  days,  the  Palmyrans  held  the  monopoly  of 
the  overland  route  to  India;  and  so  long  as  they  main- 
tained a  strict  neutrality  between  Rome  and  Persia, 
they  grew  in  wealth  and  in  general  luxury ;  and  we 
learn  from  many  of  the  inscriptions  that  the  citizens 
lavished  their  wealth  in  beautifying  their  city.  The 
inscriptions  give  us  the  best  answer  to  the  question, 
which  has  puzzled  so  many,  "  Who  built  the  Tadmor 
of  Zenobia?" 

It  has  been  generally  supposed  that  Hadrian  adorned 
Palmyra,  but  from  the  inscriptions  we  learn  that  the 
beautifying  of  the  place  was  rather  the  work  of  the 
people  and  senate  of  the  luxurious  little  republic. 

The  rule  seems  to  have  been  that  when  wealthy  citi- 
zens erected  temples  and  colonnades  in  honour  of  the 
gods,  and  performed  other  public-spirited  acts,  their 
fellow-citizens  honoured  them  with  statues.  Thus, 
from  an  inscription,  we  learn  that  one  man  erected 
six  columns,  with  their  architraves,  and  painted  them,  in 
honour  of  Shems  and  Alath  (the  Sun  and  a  female  deity 
worshipped  by  the  Arabs),  and  his  fellow-citizens  erected 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  107 

a  statue  to  him  in  March  129  a.d.  Another  citizen  erected 
seven  columns,  with  all  their  ornaments  and  brazen  bal- 
ustrades, and  he  was  "statued"  in  March  179  a.d.  And 
from  the  inscription,  to  which  we  have  already  referred, 
on  the  portico  of  the  "  Temple  of  the  King's  Mother," 
we  learn  that  "  the  temple,  with  all  its  ornaments,  was 
built  by  one  Mala,  called  Agrippa,  at  his  own  expense." 
A  statue  was  erected  to  Mala  for  his  services  during  the 
visit  of  the  "god  Hadrian";  but  he  seems  to  have  been 
a  general  benefactor,  for  it  is  recorded  in  the  same 
inscription  that  "  he  gave  oil  to  the  inhabitants,  the 
soldiers,  and  to  strangers." 

The  small  temples  and  the  colonnades  appear,  from 
the  inscriptions,  to  have  been  the  gifts  of  i)rivate  indi- 
viduals ;  but  such  a  work  as  the  great  Temple  of  the 
Sun  must  have  proceeded  from  the  senate  and  tlie 
republic.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  private  donations  may 
also  have  been  used,  and  we  find  an  inscription  record- 
ing the  dedication  of  a  statue  "  by  the  senate  and  people 
to  Ogga,  who  lionoured  himself  by  giving  to  the  senate 
the  sum  of  ten  thousand  drachmas."  ^ 

It  would  thus  seem  that  the  Tadmorenes  could  honour 
the  gods,  adorn  the  city,  and  have  their  vanity  gratified 
by  a  statue,  for  an  outlay  of  from  £400  to  X500.  By 
the  side  of  this  statue  stood  another  to  Ogga,  and  the 
inscription  significantly  declared  that  "  it  was  erected 
by  the  senate  and  people  for  love." 

1  The  Attic  drachma  was  worth  9]fir.,  and  the  Agiixetan,  Is.  \d. 


io8 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


The  people  of  Tadmor,  as  the  inscriptions  declare, 
honoured  and  rewarded  citizens  who  rendered  distin- 
guished service  to  the  community,  and  in  the  bestowal 
of  their  favours  they  marked  with  special  distinction 
their   townsman  Odainathus  and  his  wife  Zenobia. 


PALMYRENE    FIGURE. 


ZENOBTA. 
(Frotn  a  Coin.) 


CHAPTER  XI. 


'npHE  history  of  Zenobia  is  linked  inseparably,  by  fact 
-*-  and  fiction,  with  Palmyra,  and  deserves  at  our 
hands  a  more  detailed  notice  than  we  have  given  thus 
far.  The  very  mention  of  Tadmor,  as  we  have  already 
said,  recalls  the  names  of  Solomon  and  Zenobia,  and 
both  are  associated  in  the  Oriental  mind  with  the  w^on- 
derful  ruin  ;  but  while  Solomon  is  accredited  with  super- 
human powers,  the  Sitt  Zeinab,  or  Lady  Zenobia,  is 
renowned  for  her  womanly  graces  and  accomplishments, 
as  well  as  for  her  vast  learning  and  martial  bearing. 

In  a  bookless  land,  traditions  are  carefully  preserved 
among  a  people  who  talk  and  listen,  but  do  not  read, 
and  the  wonderful  story  of  the  Sitt  Zeinab  is  scarcely 
more  mythical  on  the  lips  of  the  Palmyrans  and  Bedawin, 
than  is  that  of  Zenobia  Augusta  in  the  pages  of  Tre- 
bellius  Pollio,  Zosimus,  and  Vopiscus. 

In  building  up  a  slight  history  of  Zenobia,  and  the 
dynasty  of  which  she  was  the  most   distinguished   orna- 


no  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

ment,  I  have  three  sources  of  information  open  to  me, 
the  Roman  historians,  the  Pahiiyrene  inscriptions,  and  the 
living  traditions.  Of  the  latter,  I  shall  make  sparing  use, 
and  only  when  it  harmonizes  with  the  two  former.^ 

The  Roman  Empire  came  into  contact  with  Britain 
and  Palmyra  about  the  same  time.  Twelve  years  be- 
fore Julius  Caesar  landed  at  Dover,  Mark  Antony,  on  a 
plundering  expedition,  made  a  raid  on  Palmyra.  But  the 
Palmyrans  fled  with  their  treasures  beyond  the  Euphrates, 
and  the  Roman  robber  found  the  city  denuded  of.  its 
wealth.  He  also  met  a  line  of  Palmyra  archers,  before 
whom  his  cavalry  recoiled. 

At  this  period  Palmyra  must  have  been  an  important 
place,  for  one  of  the  great  tomb-towers  dates  back  to 
9  A.D.  Pliny  defines  the  geographical  and  political 
position  of  Tadmor,  as  "  situated  in  the  midst  of  an 
almost  impassable  desert,  and  on  the  confines  of  two 
powerful  and  hostile  kingdoms.'' 

The  definite  history  of  Palmyra  begins  in  the  early  days 
of  the  Christian  era,  although  there  is  a  great  wealth  of 
local  tradition  regarding  Solomon  and  the  Jan. 

Palmyra   owed   its    rise    and   splendour   to   a   number 

1  For  much  of  the  ti-aditions  to  which  I  attach  weight,  I  am  indebted 
to  the  late  Lady  Ellenborough,  who  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  at  Pal- 
myra, and  busied  herself  in  weaving  together  the  local  stories  regarding 
the  great  desert  queen.  Chiefly  from  this  source  I  derived  my  inform- 
ation regarding  Zenobia's  military  camps,  and  the  routes  by  which  her 
armies  marched  to  meet  Aurelian.  Lady  EUenborough's  identifications 
were  confirmed  by  an  intelligent  young  Sheikh,  who  accompanied  me  to 
the  traditional  camping  grounds. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  m 

of  causes,  geographical,  political,  and  personal.  It  was 
a  buffer  state  between  the  Roman  and  Parthian  spheres, 
and,  as  Mommsen  says,  "  in  every  collision  between  the 
Romans  and  Parthians,  the  question  was  asked,  what 
policy  the  Palmyrans  would  pursue."  ^ 

The  wars  between  these  rival  powers  contributed  to 
the  wealth  and  importance  of  the  little  neutral  republic, 
which  maintained  its  independence  down  to  130  a.d.,  when 
the  Emperor  Hadrian  visited  it,  and  gave  it  his  own  name, 
Hadrianopolis. 

He  did  not  conquer  Palmyra,  but  he  took  it  into  a 
kind  of  client-relationship  of  mutual  advantage.  Seven 
years  later,  a  law  regulating  the  customs  and  dues  of 
Palmyra  was  engraved  upon  a  stone  in  the  city,  and 
this  long  inscription,  recently  discovered,  throws  much 
light  on  the  life  and  industry  of  the  place. 

As  interested  and  powerful  protectors  of  the  safest 
route  to  India,  the  Palmyrans  were  of  vital  service  to 
the  East  as  well  as  to  the  West,  in  keeping  open  the 
lines  of  commerce.  As  a  mercantile  community,  and  the 
guardians  of  merchandise,  neutrality  and  peace  were  essen- 
tial to  the  prosperity,  and  even  to  the  existence,  of  the 
desert  city  ;  but  the  Roman  legions  crept  slowly  but  surely 
closer  to  Tadmor.  A  Roman  garrison  was  stationed  at 
Danava,  on  the  way  to  Damascus ;  Roman  legions  were 
on  both  banks  of  the  Euphrates,  as  far  down  as  Circesium  ; 
and  Mesopotamia,  which  had  been  added  to  the  Roman 
Empire  by  Severus,  was  occupied  by  imperial  troops. 

^  The  Provinces  of  the  Boman  Empire,  Vol.  II.  93. 


112  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

Although  the  Roman  power  was  firmly  established  on 
three  sides  of  Palmyra,  the  relation  of  the  little  republic 
to  the  desert  tribes  was  such  that  the  Romans  treated 
it  with  marked  consideration. 

Septimius  Severus  raised  it  to  the  position  of  a  Roman 
colony,  and  a  popularly  elected  senate  managed  its  affairs. 
In  drawing  closer  the  bonds  of  relationship,  the  Romans 
did  not  impose  irksome  restrictions  on  the  Palmyrans ;  and, 
unlike  other  peoples  who  had  come  within  the  Roman 
sphere,  they  were  not  limited  to  the  two  imperial  lan- 
guages, but  used  in  public,  as  well  as  in  private  docu- 
ments, their  own  language,  side  by  side  with  the  Greek. 
Palmyra  also  fomied  a  customs  district,  in  which  the 
customs  were  collected,  not  on  account  of  the  state,  but 
of  the  district. 

As  the  bonds  of  union  with  Rome  became  closer,  the 
Palmyrans  began  to  add  Roman  names  to  their  own 
Semitic  names;  but  they  seem  to  have  taken  whatever 
advantage  they  could  derive  from  the  Roman  connection, 
and  while  growing  in  wealth  and  power,  they  maintained 
their  independence,  notwithstanding  the  veneer  and  nomi- 
nal domination  of  Rome. 

When  war  broke  out  between  the  Persians  and  Romans, 
Palmyra  became  a  place  of  supreme  importance  to  the 
imperial  cause,  and  successive  emperors  visited  it  on  their 
way  eastward,  and  influential  citizens  received  at  their 
hands  distinguished  marks  of  imperial  favour. 

Septimius  Severus,  on  one  of  his  expeditions  against 
the  Parthians,  visited  Palmyra,  and  raised  a  distinguished 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  115 

citizen,  named  Odainathus,  to  the  rank  of  senator ;  and 
the  new  senator  assumed  the  name  of  his  patron,  and 
was  known  as  Septimius  Odainathus,  the  son  of  Hairan, 
the  son  of  Wah-ballath,  the  son  of  Nassor. 

This  Septimius  Odainathus  was  a  powerful  citizen,  as 
well  as  a  Roman  favourite.  He  was,  however,  playing 
a  double  game,  and  being  suspected  of  plotting  a  revolt 
against  Roman  authority,  his  assassination  was  procured 
by  Rufinus,  a  Roman  officer. 

A  crime  is  always  a  blunder ;  and  Septimius  Odainathus 
left  behind  him  two  sons,  Hairan  and  Odainathus.  Hairan, 
the  elder,  is  mentioned  as  chief  or  headman  of  the 
Palmyrans,  in  an  inscription  dated  251  a.d.  But  the  fame 
of  the  family  centres  round  the  younger  brother,  Odai- 
nathus. Both,  however,  contributed  to  the  result ;  for  while 
Odainathus  led  the  men  of  action  and  the  Bedawin  of  the 
desert,  Hairan  guided  the  wealthy  merchants  and  the 
aristocracy  of  the  city. 

Odainathus  meditated  revenge  on  the  Romans  for 
the  murder  of  his  father,  but  he  bided  his  time  and  kept 
his  own  counsel.  He  spent  his  youth  among  the  hardy 
spearmen,  perfecting  the  instrument  by  which  he  hoped 
to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  the  foreigner,  and  accustoming 
himself  to  the  ways  and  wants  of  hardy  warfare.  His 
opportunity  came,  but  not  with  so  clear  an  issue  as  he 
meditated. 

In  the  year  251  a.d.,  the  emperor  fell  fighting  against 
the  Goths  in  Europe,  and  the  Empire  for  a  time  seemed  to 
have  fallen  to  pieces.     The  West  was  in  confusion,  and 


ii6  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

the  East  was  left  to  take  care  of  itself,  without  any  helping 
hand  from  Rome.  Black  Sea  pirates  ravaged  the  coasts 
of  the  Mediterranean.  Sapor  of  Persia  drove  the  Romans 
out  of  Mesopotamia,  Armenia,  Cappadocia,  and  Syria. 

After  a  time  of  confusion,  the  Empire  began  to  right 
itself,  and  Publius  Licinius  Valerianus  ascended  the  throne 
of  the  Caesars.  He  marched  against  the  Persians,  and 
drove  them  out  of  Cappadocia ;  but  a  terrible  plague 
swept  away  a  great  part  of  his  army,  and  delayed  him 
in  following  up  the  enemy. 

In  258  A.D.,  as  Valerian  passed  through  Palmyra,  he 
raised  Odainathus  to  the  consular  dignity;  and  the  gold- 
smiths and  silversmiths  of  the  city  marked  the  elevation  of 
their  fellow-citizen  to  the  highest  honorary  title  of  the 
Empire,  by  an  inscription  which  still  tells  the  tale. 

To  the  north-west  of  the  city  there  is  a  space  marked 
with  black  ashes,  and  the  natives  of  Palmyra  call  it  the 
^'- Siaghah,'"  or  silversmiths'  quarter.  There  the  workers 
in  the  precious  metals  carried  on  their  craft,  and  formed 
probably  one  of  the  most  powerful  guilds  of  Palmyra. 
They  used  their  influence  in  the  elevation  of  Odainathus, 
who  intended  to  succeed  whether  the  Roman  or  the 
Persian  proved  victorious. 

Sapor  the  Great  was  then  at  the  zenith  of  his  power. 
There  had  been  a  revival  of  the  old  Persian  faitli  and 
Persian  valour,  and  the  Romans  had  fled  before  the  hosts 
of  Iran.  After  long  delay.  Valerian  crossed  the  Euphrates 
at  the  close  of  259,  or  the  beginning  of  260  a.d.  A  des- 
perate and  decisive  battle  was  fought  near  Edessa.     The 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  117 

Romans  were  beaten,  and  the  emperor  was  taken  pris- 
oner and  carried  into  captivity.  The  disaster  to  the 
imperial  cause  at  Edessa  in  the  East  was  as  great  as  the 
fall  of  Decius  at  tlie  mouth  of  the  Danube  had  been  to 
the  Empire  in  the  West. 

Sapor  treated  the  unfortunate  Valerian  with  savage 
cruelty.  He  boasted  that  on  mounting  his  horse  he 
always  placed  his  foot  on  the  neck  of  a  Roman  emperor ; 
and  when  Valerian  died,  after  enduring  the  most  cruel 
indignities,  he  had  him  flayed,  and  his  skin  stuffed  with 
straw,  and  preserved  as  a  trophy  in  the  national  temple. 

Sapor  pressed  his  victory  with  ruthless  vigour.  An- 
tioch  and  other  cities  and  towns  were  sacked  by  his 
barbarian  soldiery.  Endless  trains  of  captives  thronged 
the  routes  to  Persia,  and  were  led  like  cattle  to  the  water, 
once  a  day;  and  it  is  said  that  the  Persians,  in  order  to 
facilitate  their  passage  of  a  deep  ravine,  filled  it  with 
their  captives,  and  marched  across  on  their  throbbing 
bodies. 

Odaiuathus,  having  watched  the  campaign,  resolved  to 
conciliate  the  victor.  The  whole  East  seemed  at  Sapor's 
feet,  and  Odainathus  sent  him  congratulatory  letters,  rich 
presents,  and  an  enormous  train  of  dromedaries.  But 
the  haughty  Sapor,  flushed  with  victory,  rejected  the 
Palmyran's  gift  with  scorn. 

"  Who  is  this  Odainathus,"  asked  the  Persian,  "  that 
thus  insolently  presumes  to  write  to  his  lord  ?  Let  him 
prostrate  himself  before  our  throne,  with  his  hands  bound 
behind  him,  or  swift  destruction  shall  be  poured  on  his 


ii8  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

head,  his  race,  and  his  country."  So  saying,  he  ordered 
the  presents  to  be  hurled  into  the  river.  (Patricius  in 
Excerp.  Leg.  p.  24.) 

Odainathus,  who  had  meditated  freedom  from  the  golden 
yoke  of  Rome,  had  no  desire  to  become  the  abject  thrall 
of  the  ari'ogant  Sapor.  The  city  and  the  desert  shared 
with  him  the  feeling  of  resentment  roused  by  the  inso- 
lence of  the  barbarian,  and  as  they  perceived  the  common 
danger,  they  united  all  their  powers  to  meet  the  impend- 
ing blow. 

Sapor  had  shown  his  teeth  before  he  was  ready  to  bite. 
He  had  met  no  opposition  from  the  Empire  after  the 
overthrow  of  Valerian,  and  city  after  city,  following  the 
example  of  Antioch,  opened  its  gates  to  the  victorious 
Persians.  But  on  reaching  Pompeiopolis,  on  the  coast 
of  Cilicia,  a  stubborn  resistance  was  offered,  and  Sapor 
was  obliged  to  invest  and  besiege  the  city. 

At  this  juncture  an  enterprising  leader,  known  as  Cal- 
listus  or  Ballista,  turned  the  fortunes  of  the  war  by  a 
bold  stroke.  Without  any  special  authority,  he  got  to- 
gether the  scattered  Roman  ships,  sailed  for  the  besieged 
city,  and  falling  suddenly  on  the  besiegers,  slaughtered 
several  thousands  of  them,  and  captured  the  royal 
harim. 

Sapor,  on  receiving  the  sudden  check  in  Cilicia,  hurried 
home  to  quell  the  little  storm  he  had  raised  at  Tadmor. 
Odainathus,  accompanied  by  his  beautiful  and  warlike 
wife,  Zenobia,  had  already  taken  the  field,  and  marched 
to   intercept   the   returning   foe.     He   had  with  liim   the 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  119 

sheikhs  of  the  desert  tribes  with  their  swift  cavalry,  and 
the  archers  and  spearmen  of  Tadmor,  who  had  known 
their  leader  from  childhood.  The  patriotic  guilds  of  tlie 
city  were  there  in  their  strength,  under  the  eye  of  their 
distinguished  fellow-citizen.  The  desert  and  town  Arabs 
were  united  to  drive  back  the  barbarians,  and  save  the 
beautiful  city,  the  centre  and  source  of  their  industry. 
In  addition  to  the  Orientals,  Odainathus  had  collected  the 
remnants  of  the  shattered  legions  in  that  region,  and 
he  had  under  his  command  a  disciplined  Roman  force 
eager  to  meet  the  Persians  again,  and  wipe  out  the 
stain  of  defeat. 

The  army  of  Palmyra  encountered  the  Persians  to  the 
west  of  the  Euphrates,  before  they  had  crossed  the  river. 
A  battle  was  fought,  and  Odainathus  and  Zenobia  gained 
a  decisive  victory.  The  Bedawin  swept  the  Persian  cav- 
alry before  them,  and  the  gallant  Tadmorenes  and  steady 
Romans  completed  the  rout  of  the  barbarians.  Sapor 
fled  with  the  remnant  of  his  array  beyond  the  Euphrates, 
hotly  pursued  by  the  man  whose  presents,  a  short  time 
before,  he  had  arrogantly  thrown  into  the  river. 

According  to  Trebellius  Pollio,  Odainathus  captured 
the  king's  treasures.  He  also  captured  the  remainder 
of  the  king's  wives  who  had  not  been  seized  by  Callistus, 
and  he  caused  Sapor  to  flee  into  his  own  country. 

In  the  hour  of  victory  the  hand  of  Odainathus  was 
stayed.  A  Roman  general  had  thrown  off  the  Roman 
yoke  in  Northern  Syria,  and  an  Oriental  empire  was  being 
set  up  in   the   East,  on  the  shattered  foundation  of  the 


I20  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

Roman.  Such  an  empire  would  have  been  fatal  to  the 
existence  of  Palmyra  as  a  kingdom. 

Odainathus  grasped  the  situation.  He  saw  an  oppor- 
tunity for  collecting  under  his  standard  the  scattered 
fragments  of  the  Roman  army,  which,  under  his  skilled 
gejieralship,  he  knew  would  carry  him  to  victory ;  and  so, 
recalling  his  forces  from  the  pursuit  of  Sapor,  he  marched 
against  the  usurper. 

The  armies  met  at  Emesa,  in  261  A.D.,  where  it  is  said 
that  Callistus  betrayed  his  master  to  Odainathus.  An- 
other account,  by  Zonaras,  speaks  of  Callistus  having  been 
put  to  death  by  Odainathus.  One  thing  is  clear,  that 
Odainathus  was  successful  in  his  campaign  against  the 
usui-per. 

By  his  brilliant  victories,  Odainathus  had  become  king 
of  the  East.  The  emperor  had  given  him  an  exceptional 
position,  without  a  parallel.  He  was  not  merely  joint 
ruler,  but  "independent  lieutenant  of  the  emperor  for 
the  East." 

Odainathus  had  gained  the  point  at  which  he  aimed. 
Valerian  was  a  captive  in  the  hands  of  Sapor,  and  his 
son  Gallienus  was  just  the  kind  of  weak  and  frivolous 
emperor  that  suited  the  ambitious  designs  of  the  Pal- 
my ran. 

According  to  Trebellius  PoUio :  "  While  Gallienus  was 
idle,  or  only  doing  foolish  and  ridiculous  things,  Odai- 
nathus crushed  Ballista  (Callistus),  a  pretender  to  the 
Empire.  He  then  immediately  waged  war  on  the  Per- 
sians to  avenge  Valerian,  which  that  emperor's  son  had 


PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  121 

neglected  to  do;  occupied  Nisibis  and  Carras,  and  sent 
the  captive  satraps  to  Gallienus  to  shame  him. 

"Persia  being  desolated,  and  all  Mesopotamia  being 
reduced  to  the  Roman  power,  the  conquering  troops 
having  marched  to  Ctesiphon,  the  king  being  fled, 
Odainathus  was,  with  the  approbation  and  applause  of 
the  Roman  world,  declared  Augustus  by  the  senate,  and 
received  as  colleague  in  the  Empire  by  Gallienus,  and  the 
money  taken  from  the  Persians  was  ordered  to  be  coined 
in  their  joint  names." 

There  are  several  Roman  accounts  of  the  events  of  this 
period,  but  they  are  somewhat  confused.  It  is  certain, 
however,  that  Odainathus  cleared  the  Eastern  field  of  all 
rival  representatives  of  Western  authority.  Besides,  he 
harassed  the  Persians,  devastated  their  country,  and  plun- 
dered their  cities,  and  on  two  occasions  the  Palmyra 
army  besieged  Ctesiphon,  and  won  a  great  battle  before 
the  walls  of  the  city.  But  though  he  pressed  Sapor 
hard,  he  did  not  succeed  in  liberating  the  captive  Vale- 
rian. Perhaps,  like  the  worthless  Gallienus,  he  was  not 
anxious  to  see  Valerian  at  liberty. 

Whatever  his  feelings  towards  Valerian  may  have  been, 
Odainathus  vindicated  the  majesty  of  the  Roman  arms  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  Roman  people.  Odainathus  had 
undoubtedly  saved  the  Eastern  Roman  Empire  from  being 
overrun  by  Persian  barbarians,  but  he  saved  it  for  him- 
self; for  while  Persia  was  crippled,  and  the  Roman 
Empire  disorganized,  he  held  the  balance  of  power  in 
his  own  hands. 


122  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

Gallienus  was  supposed  to  be  suzerain^  but  Oclainathus 
was  practically  king.  By  264  a.d.,  he  had,  in  the  name  of 
Rome,  and  by  the  help  of  Roman  soldiers,  attained  to 
supremacy  from  Armenia  to  Arabia ;  and  while  control- 
ling the  legions  of  Rome,  he  was  able  to  rely  on  the 
fidelity  and  loyalty  of  the  provinces  that  owned  his  sway. 

When  at  the  height  of  his  victorious  career,  Odainathus 
was  murdered  in  266  or  267,  at  Emesa,  by  his  nephew 
Maconius,  whom  he  had  punished  for  insubordination. 


PROJECTING.  ENTABLATURE,    TEMPLE   OF  THE   SUN. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

/'~\DAINATHUS  was  famous  for  the  brilliancy  of  his 
^-^  wars,  but  he  was  more  famous  still  for  the  beauty 
and  brilliance  of  his  wife.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
ambition,  courage,  and  success,  but  he  is  now  remem- 
Jjered  as  the  husband  of  Septimia  Zenobia. 

While  Odainathus  was  engaged  in  driving  the  Goths 
out  of  Asia  Minor,  and  clearing  the  eastern  Roman 
provinces  of  usurpers  and  barbarian  intruders,  Zenobia 
ruled  in  Palmyra,  and  carried  forward  the  conquest  of 
Egypt.  Odainathus  was  to  some  extent  associated  in  the 
Roman  sovereignty  with  Gallienus,  and  Zenobia  shared 
in  his  honours ;  but  she  was  enthroned  a  queen  in  the 
hearts  of  her  people,  and  dowered  with  the  charms  that 
inspired  to  heroism.  Aurelian,  in  a  letter  to  the  senate, 
which  we  shall  quote  further  on,  attributed  the  victories 
of  Odainathus  to  the  genius  of  his  wife. 

Zenobia  claimed  kinship  with  Cleopatra,  but  the  claim 
was  advanced  on  her  conquest  of  Egypt,  as  if  to  strengthen 


124  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

her  title  to  the  throne  of  the  Ptolemies.  There  may, 
however,  have  been  some  grounds  for  Zenobia's  preten- 
sions, or  she  would  not  have  pressed  them  in  the  face 
of  Roman  historians,  and  scholars  like  Longinus,  and  her 
perfect  command  of  the  Egyptian  tongue  indicated  a  close 
connection  with  that  country.  On  the  other  hand,  had 
her  claim  been  well  founded,  the  historians  would  have 
eagerly  emphasized  the  fact. 

With  less  probability  she  was  declared  to  be  a  Jewess, 
but  her  enlightened  treatment  of  the  Jews  of  Alexandria 
no  doubt  gave  rise  to  the  report.  Had  she  been  a  Jewess, 
she  would  not  have  failed  at  Tadmor  to  claim  descent 
from  Solomon,  the  builder  of  the  city,  and  she  would 
not  have  allowed  heathen  symbols  to  appear  on  her 
coins. 

Arab  historians  and  romancers  have  traced  the  origin 
of  the  great  queen  of  Tadmor,  through  a  long  pedigree 
of  Bedawi  sheikhs  who  belonged  to  the  tribe  of  the 
Beni-Samayda,  and  who  frequented  the  borders  of  Syria. 

About  the  middle  of  the  great  colonnade  which  marks 
the  via  recta  of  Palmyra,  statues  were  erected  in  August 
271  A.D.,  to  Odainathus  and  his  widow.  They  were  placed 
^^all  Ji^b.»  ^- i^a^  ::in^  w<^3  r>-bi^)^ 

\TrandaUon.  —  The  Statue  of  Septimius  Odainathus,  king  of  kings,  re- 
gretted by  the  entire  state.  The-Septimii,  Zabda,  General-in-chief,  and 
Zabbai,  General  of  Tadmor,  Excellencies,  have  erected  it  to  their  Lord,  in 
the  month  of  Ab,  582  (  =  August,  271  a.d.).] 


DOORWAY  OF  ZENOBIA  S  PALACE. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  127 

on  brackets  protruding  from  the  columns,  and  on  the 
fronts   of  the   brackets   there  were   inscriptions   in   Pal- 

{Translation.  — T^^  Statue  of  Septimia,  the  daughter  of  Zabhai,  the  pious 
and  just  Queen.  The  Septimii  Zabda,  General-in-chief,  and  Zabhai,  General 
of  Tadmor,  Excellencies,  have  erected  it  to  their  sovereign,  in  the  month  of 
Ah,  the  year  582  (=August,  271  a.d.).] 

CCriTIMlANZHNOBIANTHNAAM. 

InPOTATHNCYCeBHBACIAICCAN 

CeilTIMlOIZABAACOMerACCTPA 

THAATHCKAIZABBAIOCOeNGAAe 

CTPATHAATHCOIKPATICTOITHN 

AecnOIN  ANCTOYCeTf^MHNei  ACiJtO  (sic) 

\Tran&lation.  —  Septimia  Zenobia,  the  illustrious  and  pious  queen.  The 
Septimii  Zabdas,  the  great  General,  and  Zabhai,  the  local  General,  Excellencies. 
.     .     .    their  sovereign.    The  year  582  in  the  month  of  August.] 

myrene  and  Greek.  One  inscription  declared  that  Zabdas, 
commander-in-chief,  and  Zabbai,  commander  of  Tadmor, 
erected  the  statue  in  honour  of  the  lamented  Odainathus, 
king  of  kings,  their  master.  The  other  proclaimed  that 
the  same  illustrious  generals  erected  the  statue  in  honour 
of  Septimia  Bath-Zabbai  (in  Greek,  Zenobia),  the  pious 
and  holy  queen.  The  name  "  Bath-Zabbai "  signifies  liter- 
ally the  daughter  of  Zabbai,  and  she  may  have  been  the 
daughter  of  the  commander-in-chief  of  Tadmor,  who 
shared  in  the  erection  of  the  statue. 

An  important  item  in  my  Palmyra  programme  was  to 
find  the  statue  of  Zenobia.  I  set  about  the  work  with 
earnest   deliberation,  first   going  up  on  a  ladder  to   the 


128  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

bracket  on  which  the  statue  had  been  placed,  and  read- 
ing carefully  the  inscription  in  Greek  and  Palmyrene. 
Then  we  began  to  overturn  the  accumulation  of  sand  at 
the  base  of  the  column  where  the  statue  must  have  fallen. 
To  encourage  the  workers,  I  offered  a  heslilik  for  the 
discovery  of  a  head.  The  head  of  Zenobia  for  five  piasters, 
equal  to  one  franc !  And  how  the  descendants  of  the 
proud  Tadmorenes  delved  in  the  dShris  of  the  beautiful 
city  for  the  head  of  the  illustrious  queen  that  once  ruled 
the  East,  and  set  at  defiance  the  Romans !  The  diggers 
strained  every  nerve  and  muscle  to  secure  the  reward; 
in  fact,  I  believe  a  syndicate  was  formed  on  the  spot,  so 
that  each  of  the  five  diggers  might  receive  one  piaster  divi- 
dend, should  the  prize  be  secured ! 

I  had  mounted  the  ladder  to  examine  the  inscription 
to  the  late  lamented  Odainathus,  when  I  was  startled 
by  a  tremendous  yell  that  burst  from  the  excavators. 
The  shout  of  triumph  sounded  strange  among  the 
silent  ruins. 

"  O  Khawaja,  descend ;  we  have  got  the  head  of  Sitt 
Zeinab!"  shouted  the  chief  of  the  party,  as  he  ran  to 
the  foot  of  the  ladder,  and  in  his  excitement  began  to 
ascend  the  rounds  with  a  large  stone  in  his  hands. 
The  shouting  brought  a  crowd  of  idlers  around  us,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  about  one  hundred  persons  were  hold- 
ing an  inquest  on  the  head  of  Zenobia. 

The  head  had  been  broken  off  a  statue,  and  was  some- 
what disfigured.  It  was,  however,  the  head  of  a  Palmyra 
lady,  with  carefully  folded  turban.     There  was  a  broad 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  129 

jewelled  band  across  the  forehead  horizontally,  and  other 
bands  extending  diagonally  from  the  middle  of  the  fore- 
head downwards  toward  the  ears,  with  jewels  in  each 
as  large  as  beans. 

The  head  was  not  so  grand  as  we  expected,  and  it  was 
considerably   battered,   but   after   enduring    the   weather 


and  the  buff e tings  of  fortune  for  1593  years,  it  was  in  a 
wonderful  state  of  preservation.  I  was  reconciling  my- 
self to  it  with  the  reflection,  that  perhaps,  like  heroes 
generally,  the  heads  of  female  statues  are  less  impres- 
sive on  close  inspection,  when  another  yell  of  triumph, 
reinforced  by  a  hundred  voices,  made  the  ruins  of  old 
Palmyra  resound  again.  Nothing  like  it  had  been  heard 
since  the  day  that  the  Tadmor  cavalry,  with  Zenobia  in 
glittering  armour  at  their  head,  drove  Sapor  the  great 
across  the  Euphrates.  Had  Odainathus  or  Zenobia  been 
about,  they  would  have  heard  an  echo  of  other  days. 

9 


I30 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 


My  excavators,  seeing  that  I  was  pleased  with  their 
find,  as  I  was  tenderly  removing  the  sand  of  ages  from 
the  folds  of  the  turban,  and  doubtless  thinking  that  I 
ought  to  be  encouraged,  had  delved  deeper  and  brought 
to  the  surface  the  female  head  of  another  statue. 


There  are  circumstances  under  which  one  may  have 
too  much  of  a  good  thing.  The  second  discoveiy  ren- 
dered the  identification  of  the  first  with  Zenobia  doubt- 
ful. The  new  head  was  purely  Grecian  in  style  and 
decoration.  The  hair  came  down  low  on  the  fore- 
head, and  there  were  holes  in  the  eyes  for  jewels. 

Turning  from  the  interesting  though  mutilated  heads, 
found  by  the  column  on  which  the  statue  of  Zenobia  once 
stood,  and  which  may  or  may  not  have  been  intended  for 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  131 

the  great  queen,  I  think  it  is  almost  certain  that  Bath- 
Zabbai  was  a  native  of  Tadmor,  and  that,  like  most  of 
the  other  Palmyrans,  she  was  of  Arabian  descent,  at  least 
on  her  father's  side.  It  is  probable  that  on  her  mother's 
side  she  may  have  been  Egyptian,  and  may,  very  probably, 
have  received  her  education  among  her  mother's  people. 
It  is  certain  that  she  was  a  Palmyra  beauty,  belonging 
to  the  military  and  governing  aristocracy  of  the  republic. 
Odainathus,  a  widower,  vir  clarissimus  consularis^  the 
favourite  of  Rome,  of  Palmyra,  and  of  the  desert,  chose 
Zenobia,  the  fairest  flower  of  the  East,  to  share  his  fame 
and  fortune  and  dangers. 

The  Roman  historians  have  given  us  scant  information 
as  to  the  origin  of  this  splendid  woman,  but  they  have 
given  us  pen  and  ink  sketches  of  her  personal  appearance, 
and  abundant  details  regarding  her  achievements. 

Trebellius  Pollio  tells  us :  "  She  lived  with  royal 
pomp  after  the  Persian  manner,  received  adulation  like 
the  kings  of  Persia,  and  banqueted  like  the  Roman 
emperors. 

"  She  went  in  state  to  the  assemblies  of  the  people,  in 
a  helmet,  with  a  purple  band  fringed  with  jewels.  Her 
robe  was  clasped  with  a  diamond  buckle,  and  she  often 
wore  her  arm  bare. 

"  Her  complexion  was  a  dark  brown,  her  eyes  black  and 
sparkling  and  of  uncommon  fire.  Her  countenance  was 
divinely  expressive,  her  person  graceful  in  form  and 
motion  beyond  imagination,  her  teeth  were  white  as  pearls, 
and  her  voice  clear  and  strong.    She  displayed  the  severity 


132  PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

of  a  tyrant,  when  severity  was  called  for ;  and  the  clem- 
ency of  a  good  prince,  when  justice  required  it. 

"She  was  generous  with  prudence,  but  a  husbandress 
of  wealth  more  than  is  the  custom  with  women.  Some- 
times she  used  a  chariot,  but  more  frequently  rode  on 
horseback.  She  would  march  immense  distances  on  foot 
at  the  head  of  her  infantry,  and  would  drink  with  her 
officers,  the  Armenians  and  Persians,  deeply,  but  with 
sobriety,  using  at  her  banquets  golden  goblets,  set  with 
jewels,  such  as  Cleopatra  was  wont  to  use.  In  her  service 
she  employed  eunuchs  advanced  in  years,  and  very  few 
damsels. 

"She  ordered  her  sons  to  be  instructed  in  the  Latin 
language,  as  befitting  the  imperial  purple,  in  which  she 
had  arrayed  them.  She  was  herself  acquainted  with  the 
Greek  tongue,  and  was  not  ignorant  of  Latin,  though  from 
diffidence  she  spoke  it  seldom.  She  spoke  Egyptian 
perfectly,  and  was  so  versed  in  the  history  of  Alexandria 
and  the  East,  that  she  made  an  abridgment  of  Oriental 
history."  ^ 

Cornelius  Capitolinus,  another  Roman  historian,  de- 
clared Zenobia  to  be  the  handsomest  of  all  Oriental 
women. 

This  supremely  beautiful  and  accomplished  lady  must 
have  been  very  young  at  the  time  of  her  marriage,  and 
during  the  stirring  years  when  she  exercised  so  large  an 
influence  on  the  destinies  of  the  world.  Her  youth  and 
beauty  had  a  magic  charm,  not  only  with  the  gallant 
1  Trebellius  PoUio,  Hist.  August,  p.  199. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  133 

spearmen  of  her  race,  but  for  all  the  Orientals  that 
followed  her  standard  and  espoused  her  cause. 

But  she  had  still  more  solid  claims  to  their  allegiance 
and  support.  Her  knowledge  of  languages  alone  showed 
that  she  must  have  been  given  to  studious  habits,  and 
from  the  Latin  and  Greek  literature  within  her  reach,  she 
had  probably  a  wider  acquaintance  with  the  world  than 
any  of  her  generals,  or  than  even  Odainathus  himself. 
Her  perfect  command  of  Egyptian  as  a  living  tongue 
implied  an  early  education  in  the  schools  of  Alexandria, 
and  gave  colour  to  the  claim  of  kinship  with  the  renowned 
Cleopatra ;  and  while  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  the  Greek 
and  Roman  languages,  Zenobia  must  have  learned  much 
of  the  character  and  influence  of  the  Greek  and  Roman 
peoples.  This  marvellous  woman  did  not,  however,  finish 
her  education  when  she  quitted  the  schools.  She  con- 
tinued her  study  of  Greek  and  Roman  writers  under  the 
guidance  of  Longinus,  who  was  as  pre-eminent  among  the 
pliilosophers  and  scholars  of  his  time  as  Zenobia  herself 
was  among  the  women  of  her  day. 

Cassius  Longinus  was  probably  born  at  Emesa  in  Syria, 
where  he  became  heir  to  his  uncle  Phronto.  His  parents, 
being  in  easy  circumstances,  took  him  to  travel,  and  he 
had  an  opportunity  of  visiting  the  chief  places  in  the  then 
civilized  world.  He  had  also  the  advantage  of  an  educa- 
tion directed  by  the  greatest  teachers  of  his  time.  He 
studied  at  Athens  under  his  uncle  Phronto,  at  Rome 
under  Plotinus  and  Amelius,  and  at  Alexandria  under 
Ammonius  Saccas  and  Origenes. 


134  PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 

Having  learned  in  the  best  schools,  he  became  a 
teacher.  The  famous  Porphyry  was  one  of  his  pupils, 
and  he  became  the  centre  of  the  last  brilliant  galaxy  of 
pagan  scholars. 

Longinus  united  in  himself  the  subtlety  of  Greek  form 
with  Roman  fervour.  His  "Treatise  on  the  Sublime"  bears 
in  its  luminous  beauty  that  stamp  of  sense  and  form 
which,  notwithstanding  doubts  as  to  the  authorship, 
proves  it  to  be  the  work  of  Longinus,  who,  on  account  of 
his  great  learning,  was  called  "  a  living  library." 

No  doubt  Zenobia  must  have  heard  of  the  great  Longi- 
nus during  her  school  days,  and  it  is  probable  she  may 
have  met  him  at  Alexandria ;  but  it  is  certain  he  became 
her  instructor  and  secretary,  and  practically  her  prime 
minister  and  guide,  and  that  he  perished  on  the  overthrow 
of  Palmyra. 

We  find  the  following  summary  of  his  life  in  a  preface 
to  his  writings  by  Suidas:  "Longinus  Cassius,  philoso- 
pher, preceptor  of  Porphyry  the  philosopher,  a  learned 
scholar  and  critic,  lived  in  the  time  of  the  Emperor 
Aurelian,  and  was  cut  off  by  him  as  having  conspired 
with  Zenobia,  the  wife  of  Odainathus." 

Longinus,  the  chief  counsellor  of  the  widowed  queen, 
favoured  the  policy  of  independence  by  throwing  off 
the  Roman  yoke ;  and  it  was  his  policy,  as  we  shall  see, 
that  led  to  the  destruction  of  Tadmor,  the  captivity  of 
the  queen,  and  the  forfeit  of  his  own  life. 

Cassius  Longinus,  as  events  proved,  was  not  a  safe 
counsellor  for   the   young   and   proud   Zenobia.     We    do 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  t A.  135 

not  know  how  he  came  to  have  the  name  "  Cassius." 
Possibly  he  inherited  it,  but  more  probably  he  assumed 
it,  through  sympathy  with  the  deeds  of  such  men  as  Caius 
Cassius  and  Cassius  Chserea.  In  any  case,  the  associa- 
tions of  the  name  were  distinctly  anti-imperial  and  even 
regicidal.  Besides  being  a  Syrian,  he  would  be  ready  to 
throw  off  the  Roman  yoke  as  soon  as  occasion  offered. 

On  the  death  of  Odainathus,  Zenobia  had  to  recon- 
sider her  position.  I  have  examined  the  two  inscriptions 
in  Palmyra  dedicated  to  Odainathus.  According  to  the 
one  erected  in  April  258  a.d.,  Odainathus  was  of  consular 
dignity,  and  on  that  of  August  271  a.d.,  he  was  declared 
king  of  kings.  In  the  inscription  which  accompanied  the 
statue  of  Zenobia  of  August  271  A.D.,  she  is  styled  Queen. 
This  title  had  doubtless  been  accorded  to  her  by  her 
husband,  who  was  king  of  kings,  and  acquiesced  in  at 
Rome  ;  but  Zenobia,  fearing  that  the  mnk  and  titles  which 
she  and  her  children  enjoyed,  in  virtue  of  her  husband's 
personal  services,  might  be  set  aside  at  Rome,  resolved  to 
act  as  queen-regent  during  the  minority  of  her  son. 

The  state  of  the  Roman  Empire  was  favourable  to 
the  ambition  of  Zenobia,  and  the  schemes  of  Longinus. 
Gallienus  was  a  base,  bad  emperor.  He  takes  rank  in 
vice  with  Heliogabalus  and  Nero.  His  neglect  of  his 
duty  to  his  captive  father  and  distracted  country  had 
reduced  the  Empire  to  confusion  and  degradation.  The 
Roman  legions,  when  he  was  emperor,  were  driven  back 
in  all  the  remote  provinces.  The  Roman  seas  were  full 
of  pirates. 


136  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

An  opportunity  was  soon  given  to  Zenobia,  if  we  are 
to  accept  the  statement  of  Trebellius  Pollio,  to  assert  her 
queenship.  On  hearing  of  the  murder  of  Odainathus, 
Gallienus  despatched  an  army  against  the  Persians  under 
Heraclianus.  Zenobia,  resenting  the  encroachment,  es- 
poused the  Persian  cause,  and  at  the  head  of  a  Palmyra 
army  marched  to  meet  the  Romans.  A  battle  was  fought 
on  the  confines  of  Persia,  which  ended  in  the  rout  and 
destruction  of  the  Roman  army.  Soon  afterwards, 
Gallienus  was  murdered  at  Milan,  leaving  Syria  and 
Mesopotamia  in  the  hands  of  Zenobia. 

Claudius  came  to  the  throne,  and  as  he  was  fully 
occupied  with  enemies  in  Europe,  he  recognized  the 
authority  of  Zenobia,  and  devoted  liimself  to  strengthen- 
ing the  Empire  by  reforms  at  home. 

At  that  time,  Probatus,  a  pretender,  appeared  in  Egypt. 
Zenobia  despatched  Zabdas,  the  commander-in-chief,  against 
him,  with  an  army  of  seventy  thousand  Palmyrans,  Syri- 
ans, and  Bedawin.  He  encountered  Probatus  at  the  head 
of  an  army  of  fifty  thousand  Egyptians,  and  gained  a 
complete  victory. 

Zenobia  had  undertaken  the  Egyptian  campaign  in  the 
cause  of  Rome,  and  had  fought  and  conquered  in  the 
name  of  Rome,  but  she  held  the  country  in  her  own  name, 
and  as  a  part  of  the  kingdom  of  Palmyra. 

Aurelian,  on  coming  to  the  throne,  recognized  the  Pal- 
myra conquest  of  Egypt.  The  statements  of  Roman 
historians  regarding  this  period  are  contradictory  and 
perplexing,  but  I  have  a  coin,  struck  in  Alexandria,  with 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  137 

the  figure  of  Zenobia's  eldest  son  and  the  title  Inipc- 
rator  on  one  side,  and  the  figure  of  Aurelian  and  the 
title  of  Augustus  on  the  other. 

Aurelian  was  a  soldier  of  fortune,  who  had  risen  from 
the  lowest  rank.  He  was  called  to  be  Emperor  by  the 
army,  and  during  the  two  first  years  of  his  reign  he  sub- 
dued the  Goths,  Germans,  and  Vandals.  At  the  same 
time,  Zenobia  was  adding  the  province  of  Asia  Minor  to 
her  dominions. 

In  271  A.D.,  Aurelian  had  so  reduced  matters  to  a  satis- 
factory condition  in  Europe,  that  he  was  able  to  turn  his 
attention  to  Zenobia.  A  Palmyra  garrison  had  been  left 
in  Egypt.  Probus,  who  had  been  waging  war  against  the 
Mediterranean  pirates,  was  ordered  to  drive  the  Orientals 
out  of  Egypt.  He  was  victorious,  but  Zabdas,  being 
guided  by  Timagenes,  attacked  the  Romans  who  had 
attempted  to  cut  off  his  retreat,  and  defeated  them. 

The  time  had  now  arrived  for  a  decisive  struggle 
between  the  East  and  the  West,  between  Aurelian  and 
his  veteran  legions  and  Zenobia  and  her  chivalrous 
Orientals.  The  contrast  between  the  foes  and  their 
followers  was  very  great.  Aurelian  had  risen  to  power 
by  courage,  strength,  and  attention  to  discipline.  He 
lacked  culture,  refinement,  and  education ;  but  he  had 
built  up  a  Roman  army  which  had  become  an  irresistible 
engine  of  war.  With  this  engine  he  hoped  to  crush 
Zenobia. 

At  the  approach  of  the  danger,  the  refined  and  cul- 
tured Zenobia  paused  in  her  literary  and  artistic  pursuits, 


138  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

and  called  together  the  sons  of  the  desert,  who  had 
planted  her  standard  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile  and  estab- 
lished her  authority  on  the  plains  of  the  Seleucidae. 
Swift  dromedaries  sped  forth  from  Palmyra,  in  all  direc- 
tions, to  warn  the  Bedawin  of  the  approaching  foe. 
The  Roman  name  had  no  terror  for  the  freemen  of  the 
desert.  In  several  encounters  they  had  annihilated  the 
famous  legions ;  and  even  the  Parthians  had  destroyed  a 
Roman  army,  and  held  in  slavery  a  Roman  emperor. 
Zenobia's  summons  warned  them  of  a  common  danger, 
and  roused  them  to  repel  the  common  foe. 

The  prosperity  of  Palmyra  meant  the  prosperity  of  the 
Bedawin.  The  city  in  the  desert  was  at  that  time  the 
meeting-place  between  Europe  and  Asia,  the  market- 
place where  the  East  and  West  exchanged  their  wares, 
and  the  tribes  were  the  common  carriers  both  east  and 
west.  What  the  Phoenicians  were  by  sea,  that  were  the 
Bedawin  by  land ;  and  during  the  ascendency  of  Zenobia, 
the  Bedawin  were  not  only  the  carriers  of  the  common- 
wealth, but  the  body-guard  of  the  dynasty. 

Zenobia's  call  to  arms  was  splendidly  responded  to, 
and  in  a  few  days  the  sandy  plains  of  Tadmor  swarmed 
with  warriors,  ready  not  only  to  protect  their  beautiful 
and  heroic  queen,  but  also  to  guard  intact  the  lines  of 
their  commerce.  They  came  together  with  light  hearts, 
easrer  to  be  led  asfainst  the  western  barbarian. 


COIN   OF   ZENOBIA. 
{Enlarged.) 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


''  I  ^HERE  was  one,  at  least,  in  Palmyra  who  was  fully 
■*-  alive  to  the  gravity  of  the  impending  danger. 
Zenobia  did  not  despise  her  enemy,  but  with  a  prudence 
equal  to  her  courage  she  began  at  once  to  reduce  to 
order  the  innumerable  swarms  of  motley  warriors  that 
covered  the  plains  of  Tadmor. 

Three  vast  military  camps  were  formed.  Traditions 
live  very  long  among  the  Bedawin,  who  hand  down  to 
their  sons,  and  their  sons'  sons,  precise  details  of  the 
deeds  in  which  they  had  a  share.  A  young  sheikh 
pointed  out  to  me  the  exact  spot  on  which  each  camp 
was  formed,  and  his  information  agreed  with  what  I 
had  gleaned  elsewhere. 

One  camp,  composed  of  the  levies  from  south-eastern 
tribes,  was  formed,  due  south  of  the  warm  fountain,  on 
the  plain  beyond  the  acropolis.  Another,  drawn  from  the 
Bedawin  of  the  south-west,  between  Palmyra  and  Damas- 
cus, was  formed  on  the  plain,  opposite  the  Abu  el-Fa waris 


I40  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

springs.  The  third  camp,  which  was  intended  for  the 
northern  and  north-western  tribes,  was  formed  on  the 
direct  road  to  Emesa,  beyond  the  Palmyra  quarries,  at  a 
place  called  Marbat  'Antar,  where,  in  a  cleft  in  the  moun- 
tain, there  is  a  fine  spring  of  water.  The  word  mai'hat^ 
the  "  tying-place,"  that  is,  the  place  where  camels  were 
tied,  or  the  "  camping-ground,"  may  have  taken  its  name 
from  Zenobia's  camp.  Tradition  links  it  with  the  name 
of  'Antar,  whose  horse  was  said  to  have  cleared  the 
chasm,  two  thousand  cubits  wide. 

In  this  crisis  Zenobia  was  more  than  a  general.  She 
visited  each  of  the  camps  daily,  surrounded  by  a  brilliant 
staff  of  officers,  and  with  helmet  on  head,  and  arms  bare, 
drilled  and  reviewed  and  harangued  her  troops.  Zenobia 
shared  fully  in  the  privations  and  fatigues  of  her  men ; 
and  while  the  charms  of  her  sympathy  and  beauty  bound 
them  to  her  by  undying  loyalty,  her  martial  bearing  and 
knowledge  of  war  kindled  their  military  ardour  and 
enthusiastic  confidence. 

During  the  period  that  Aurelian  was  completing  the 
conquest  of  the  Goths,  Zenobia  continued  the  drilling  of 
her  soldiers ;  and  as  each  division  attained  proficiency,  she 
sent  it  forward  to  the  Orontes  valley,  where  forage  was 
more  plentiful. 

Having  subjugated  the  Goths,  Aurelian  crossed  the 
Bosphorus  at  Byzantium.  His  progress  through  Asia 
Minor  was  much  more  rapid  than  Zenobia  had  anticipated. 
Her  friends  in  Asia  Minor  who  did  not  join  the  Roman 
army  fell  back   before  it.     Ancj'ra   opened   its  gates   to 


PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  141 

Aurelian,  but  at  Tyana,  on  the  river  Sarus,  a  stubborn 
resistance  was  offered  to  his  advance.  The  city,  however, 
was  opened  to  the  enemy  by  a  traitor  named  Heraclamiura. 

The  Palmyra  army  marched  to  meet  the  Romans  by 
three  routes.  The  camels  and  cavalry  proceeded  by  the 
Aleppo  route  as  far  as  Hamam,  and  then  turned  in  a  more 
westerly  direction  and  marched  on  Antioch.  Another 
division,  composed  chiefly  of  mounted  warriors,  marched 
in  a  still  more  westerly  direction  straight  to  Hamah,  past 
the  wells  of  Marbat,  Jaral,  Barri,  and  Salimiyeh.  The 
third  and  great  division,  composed  chiefly  of  archere  and 
sword  and  clubmen,  marched  by  the  Damascus  route  as 
far  as  Karyetein,  and  then  turned  off  and  marched  to 
Emesa. 

The  Aleppo  route  was  the  more  dreary,  but  there  was 
sufficient  water  at  long  intervals  for  camels  and  horses. 
The  route  to  Hamali,  through  groves  of  terebinth,  was 
somewhat  better  supplied  with  water;  and  the  route  by 
Karyetein  was  the  best  supplied  of  all. 

A  short  distance  from  Palmyra  the  third  division  passed 
the  night  at  the  abundant  waters  of  Abu  el-Fawaris.  An 
early  start  and  nine  hours'  brisk  marching  brought  them 
to  a  reservoir  at  Kasr  el-Hiyar,  full  of  water  drawn  from 
the  'Ain  el-Wu'ul  fountain,  which  was  secluded  in  the 
mountains  about  six  miles  to  the  south-east.  Here  the 
division  spent  the  night,  and,  by  an  early  start  and  ten  or 
eleven  hours'  march,  reached  the  great  fountain  of  Karye- 
tein. After  leaving  Karyetein,  the  division  passed  the 
fountains  of  Hawarin,  Muhin,  and  Sudud. 


142  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

I  have  examined  these  fountains,  which  are  now  ne- 
glected, but  which,  under  the  prudent  care  of  Zenobia, 
rendered  the  passage  of  her  armies  a  comparatively  easy- 
matter.  Three  j-^ears  previously,  as  we  have  seen,  Zenobia 
had  despatched  Zabdas  to  Egypt  at  the  head  of  an  army 
numbering,  according  to  Zosimus,  seventy  thousand  sol- 
diers.^ That  campaign  was  undertaken  nominally  to 
punish  a  pretender  against  Roman  authority;  it  was  a 
mere  matter  of  invasion.  In  the  war  on  which  Zenobia 
and  her  people  Avere  now  embarked,  kingdom  and  crown, 
honour  and  fame,  life  and  liberty,  were  at  stake. 

It  may,  I  think,  be  safely  assumed,  that  in  the  great 
crisis  of  the  kingdom,  Zenobia  had  four  or  five  times  as 
large  an  army  as  that  which  sufficed  for  the  Egyptian 
campaign.  Tradition  fixes  the  number  at  one  million  of 
all  arms,  but  I  think  we  should  not  be  far  wrong  in 
supposing  that  from  a  quarter  to  half  a  million  of  sub- 
jects followed  the  standard  of  the  beauteous  and  heroic 
queen. 

From  all  parts  this  countless  host  of  wild  warriors 
concentrated  on  Autioch.  As  Aurelian  and  his  legfions 
climbed  the  Beilan  pass,  Zenobia,  accompanied  by  her 
prime  minister,  Cassius  Longinus,  and  her  commander-in- 
chief,  Zabdas,  led  her  forces  out  fi-om  the  neighbourhood 
of  Antioch.  So  certain  was  she  of  being  able  to  cope 
with  the  Romans,  on  a  fair  field,  with  no  favour,  that 
she  did  not  attempt  to  block  their  way  in  the  steep  and 
narrow  mountain  defiles.     Shortly  after  Aurelian  emerged 

1  Zosimiis,  lib.  i.  p.  58. 


THE  GRAND   COLONNADE. 


PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OBI  A,  145 

on  the  plain,  the  struggle  for  mastery  between  the  East 
and  West  began. 

According  to  Eusebius,  the  great  battle  was  fought  in 
273  A.D.,  but  it  is  almost  certain  that  it  took  place  in 
the  early  days  of  272.  Zenobia,  no  longer  acting  as 
queen-regent,  but  as  Queen  and  Empress  of  the  East,  rode 
forth  equipped  as  a  warrior  to  beat  back  the  great  army 
of  the  Roman  Empire.  The  plain  was  filled  with  her 
serried  ranks.  Her  heavy  cavalry,  clothed  in  complete 
armour  of  steel,  led  the  van,  the  light  archers  followed, 
and  the  infantry  of  all  arms  brought  up  the  rear. 

Innumerable  spearmen  on  fleet  dromedaries  were  massed 
on  the  flanks  of  the  Palmyra  host,  or  tried  to  get  on  the 
flanks  of  the  Roman  army,  with  intent  to  cut  their  com- 
munications and  turn  their  position. 

The  battle  was  joined  at  a  spot  which  Ptolemy  calls 
"Immae,"  where  he  says  Zenobia  in  person  directed  her 
troops  to  battle.^ 

Zenobia,  armed  like  Diana,  but  beautiful  as  Venus, 
mounted  on  a  splendid  charger,  rode  down  the  front  rank 
of  her  mighty  army  and  gave  the  order  to  charge.  The 
cavalry  advanced  with  irresistible  fury,  and  bore  down 
everything  before  them.  But  Aurelian  had  placed  his 
infantry  out  of  reach  of  the  cavalry,  and  held  them  in 
reserve,  till  the  Orientals   had  exhausted  themselves  by 

1  Mr.  Skene,  late  British  Consul  at  Aleppo,  identifies  the  scene  of  the 
battle.  He  says :  "  One  of  the  small  plains  surrounded  by  rocks  was 
that  of  Immae,  where  Zenobia  took  her  stand  against  Aurelian,  and  was 
defeated.  It  is  now  called  Ilaeka,  or  the  Ring."  —  Rambles  in  the  Deserts 
of  Syria,  p.  138.     London,  1864. 

10 


146  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

chasing  a  light  and  flying  foe.  Zosimus,  the  Roman 
historian,  gives  the  following  account  of  Aurelian's 
strategy :  — 

"  Finding  Zenobia  with  a  great  army  ready  prepared  for 
battle,  he  met  and  engaged  her.  But  seeing  that  the 
Palmyra  cavalry  confided  very  much  in  their  armour,  which 
was  heavy,  strong,  and  secure,  being  also  very  much  better 
horsemen  than  his  soldiers,  he  placed  his  infantry  some- 
where beyond  the  river  Orontes  in  a  place  by  themselves, 
and  commanded  the  cavalry  not  immediately  to  engage 
the  victorious  Palmyra  cavalry,  but  to  allow  themselves 
to  be  attacked,  and  pretend  to  fly,  and  continue  to  do 
so,  till  the  Palmyrans  and  their  horses  should  be  tho- 
roughly tired,  through  the  excessive  heat  and  weight  of 
their  armour."     Aurelian's  ruse  succeeded. 

The  heavy  Palmyra  cavalry  under  the  eye  of  their 
queen,  chased  the  light  Roman  horse  all  over  the  plain, 
and,  believing  that  the  Romans  were  beaten  and  fleeing, 
as  was  their  wont  in  the  time  of  Gallienus,  they  followed 
them  with  exhausting  energy,  until  they  got  separated 
from  the  main  body  of  the  army. 

At  this  juncture  Aurelian  brought  his  infantry  across 
the  Orontes,  and  marched  them  into  the  space  between 
the  Palmyran  cavalry  and  infantry. 

"  As  soon  as  the  Roman  cavalry  saw  that  their  enemies 
were  tired  by  their  great  exertions,  and  that  their  horees 
were  scarcely  able  to  stand  under  them,  they  stopped 
in  their  feigned  flight,  turned  on  their  pursuers,  and 
trampled   them   under  their  feet.     By  which   means  the 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  147 

slaughter  of  the  Palmyra  cavalry  was  promiscuous,  some 
being  killed  by  the  sword,  and  others  crushed  to  death 
by  the  Roman  horses." 

Though  Zenobia  issued  her  commands  through  her 
general  Zabdas,  she  was  seen  by  all  her  troops,  gallop- 
ing over  the  plain,  with  a  glittering  helmet  on  her  head, 
and  with  arms  bare,  encouraging  the  hesitating,  cheer- 
ing on  the  wavering,  and  calling  the  broken  and  dis- 
pirited to  make  a  stand  against  the  advancing  Romans. 
But  the  day  was  irretrievably  lost,,  by  the  impetuous 
valour  of  the  heavy  cavalry.  It  was  the  Balaclava  charge 
on  a  large  scale,  with  no  red  line  to  fall  back  upon. 
Seeing  that  resistance  was  no  longer  possible,  Zenobia 
collected  the  remnants  of  her  shattered  army,  and  re- 
treated on  Antioch. 

At  Antioch  the  Palmyrans  had  recourse  to  a  curious 
device.  According  to  Zosimus,  "  Zabdas,  Zenobia's  gen- 
eral, with  the  defeated  Palmyrans,  retreated  into  Antioch ; 
but  fearing  a  revolt  of  the  people  if  news  of  the  defeat 
should  get  abroad,  he  picked  out  a  person  somewhat 
hoary,  much  like  the  emperor,  and  clothing  him  in  a 
garb  such  as  Aurelian  wore,  led  him  through  the  whole 
city  as  if  he  had  taken  Aurelian  captive.  With  this  con- 
trivance he  deceived  the  people  of  Antioch,  and  stealing 
out  of  the  city  by  night,  marched  with  Zenobia  and  the 
remainder  of  the  army  towards  Emesa." 

A  stand,  however,  was  made  by  the  Palmyrans  at  a 
strategic  position  near  Daphne.  Aurelian  entered  An- 
tioch unopposed,  and  after  reducing   the   city  to   order, 


148  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

followed  the  fugitives.  He  found  them  well  posted  on  a 
hill.  "He  commanded  his  soldiers  to  march  up  to  the 
enemy  with  their  bucklers  so  near  to  one  another,  and  in 
such  close  order,  as  to  keep  off  darts  and  stones.  As  soon 
as  the  Romans  had  ascended  the  hill,  they  found  them- 
selves on  equal  terms  Avith  their  foes,  whom  they  put  to 
flight.  Some  were  dashed  to  pieces  over  precipices,  and 
others  were  slain  in  their  retreat.  The  Romans  were 
again  victorious,  and  marched  forward,  delighted  with  the 
emperor's  success. 

"  Apamea,  Larissa,  and  Arethusa  opened  their  gates  to 
him." 

At  Emesa,  Zenobia  had  time  to  re-form  the  fragments  of 
her  broken  forces  while  Aurelian  was  establishing  law 
and  order  in  the  cities  through  which  he  passed.  Both 
armies  found  abundant  provisions  along  the  fertile  banks 
of  the  Orontes.  Fresh  new  levies  joined  Zenobia,  and 
preparations  were  made  for  a  stubborn  resistance  at  the 
native  city  of  Cassius  Longinus,  whose  anti-imperial 
feeling  may  have  had  much  to  do  in  bringing  on  the 
terrible  war. 

The  plain  to  the  north  of  Hums  was  splendidly  adapted 
for  a  great  Oriental  battle-field.  I  once  passed  over  it 
with  Subhi  Pasha,  and  an  escort  composed  of  several  thou- 
sand irregular  cavalry,  village  sheikhs,  and  princelings. 
All  day  long  the  horsemen  galloped  over  the  plain, 
engaging  in  feats  of  horsemanship  and  sham  battles,  their 
bright  colours  and  picturesque  garments  lending  special 
interest   to   the   scene.     With   the   field,   that  had    once 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  149 

resounded  with  the  yells  of  Romans  and  Palmyrans, 
before  me,  swarming  with  Orientals  engaged  in  mimic 
warfare,  I  was  able  to  form  a  vivid  conception  of  the 
great  struggle  between  Zenobia  and  Aurelian. 

The  emperor  marched  out  of  Restan,  the  ancient 
Arethusa,  and  the  queen  with  her  army  moved  out  of 
Hums  to  meet  him. 

They  met  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Orontes,  five  or  six 
iiffi.es  north  of  Hums.  The  Palmyrans  had  the  advantage 
of  sun,  and  slope  of  plain,  but  otherwise  there  was  no 
key  of  the  position  to  be  contended  for,  or  that  could 
give  either  side  an  advantage  over  the  other. 

According  to  her  custom,  Zenobia  in  armour  marched 
at  the  head  of  her  army. 

Zosimus  describes  the  battle  that  ensued :  — 

"  Aurelian,  seeing  the  Palmyra  army  drawn  up  before 
Emesa  in  a  body,  opposed  them  with  the  Dalmatian  cav- 
alry, the  Mysians  and  Paonians,  besides  those  of  Noricum 
and  Rhoetium,  which  are  Celtic  legions.  Nay  more, 
there  were  the  best  of  all  the  imperial  regiments  picked 
out  and  chosen  man  by  man,  the  Morisco  horse,  and  the 
Tyanians,  the  Mesopotamians,  the  Syrians,  the  Phoeni- 
cians, and  the  Palestinians,  out  of  Asia.  All  were  men 
of  courage,  and  the  Palestinians,  besides  their  other  arms, 
had  clubs  and  quarter-staves." 

The  battle  was  fierce,  long,  and  desperate.  The  Palmyra 
cavalry  had  to  avenge  the  overthrow  of  their  companions 
at  Antioch,  and  they  almost  annihilated  the  Roman  cav- 
alry.    The   battle,  however,  was   finally  decided   by  the 


ISO 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


staying  power  of  the  Roman  veterans,  who  had  borne 
the  eagles  to  victory  in  Britain  and  among  the  fierce 
Alemanni  and  ferocious  Goths.  The  Palestinian  infantry 
seem  to  have  exercised  a  determining  influence  on  the 
issue  of  the  struggle. 

To  this  day  the  people  of  Palestine  carry  a  club,  which 
they  call  ed-dahbuus — the  pin.  It  has  a  large  bulbous 
head  set  with  spikes,  and  in  strong  hands  it  is  a  most 
formidable  weapon.  Such  a  weapon  would  not  fail  to 
bring  to  the  ground  either  man  or  horee. 

Zosimus  thus  describes  the  result  of  tlie  battle :  "  The 
Palmyra  cavalry  were  much  too  strong  for  the  Roman 
horse,  most  of  whom  were  slain ;  but  the  work  of  the 
day  lay  chiefly  with  the  infantry.  The  Palmyrans  were 
amazed  to  see  the  Palestinians  fight  so  strangely  with 
their  clubs,  and  were  not  a  little  disconcerted  by  it. 
After  a  fierce  encounter,  Zenobia's  hosts  were  put  to 
flight,  and  they  trod  one  upon  another,  insomuch  that 
the  field  was  covered  with  dead  men  and  horses." 


Translation  of  Palmyrene  Inscription — nashoum,  son  of  .malkop. 


ENTAbL-iiLKE,    TK.VIPLE    OF   THE   SCN. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

'^ENOBIA,  with  the  fragments  of  her  beaten  army, 
^-^  retreated  to  her  desert  home.  On  their  march, 
the  Palmyrans  destroyed  all  the  wells,  that  they  might 
not  be  available  for  the  pursuing  Romans. 

Aurelian  rested  at  Hums  to  prepare  for  the  terrible 
ordeal  of  crossing  the  desert,  and  the  siege  of  Palmyra. 
The  delay  gave  the  Palmyrans  time  to  rally,  and  to 
prepare  for  defence,  and  when  the  emperor  reached  Pal- 
myra, the  city  was  in  readiness  for  a  protracted  siege. 

Aurelian  quartered  his  soldiers  on  the  three  great 
camping  grounds  by  the  waters,  where  Zenobia  had 
drilled  her  troops  a  short  time  before.  The  fierce  and 
dogged  West,  the  brilliant  and  chivalrous  East,  had 
reached  their  last  ditch.  How  a  great  army  within  the 
walls  of  Palmyra,  and  a  greater  outside  the  city,  were 
sustained  in  the  midst  of  a  howling  wilderness,  while 
they  fought  out  their  deadly  feud  to  the  bitter  end, 
must  ever  remain  a  mystery. 


152  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

I  have,  I  think,  solved  the  water  question,  as  far  as  the 
host  outside  the  city  is  concerned;  and  there  are  still 
the  remains  of  water  tanks  attached  to  houses  in  the 
city,  which  may  have  rendered  the  besieged,  for  a  time 
at  least,  independent  of  the  outside  fountains.  Besides,  I 
think  it  extremely  probable  that  the  tepid  fountain  Ephca 
may  have  been  within  the  limits  of  defence.  But  the 
carrying  of  provisions  across  the  desert  for  the  Roman 
army  alone  was  a  task  beyond  the  capacity  of  any  com- 
missariat of  our  time. 

Aurelian's  march  across  the  desert  with  a  great  army, 
in  the  face  of  superior  cavalry,  was  a  notable  achieve- 
ment. Mommsen  says :  "  The  march  was  more  difficult 
than  the  conflict.  The  distance  from  Emesa  to  Palmyra 
amounts  in  a  direct  line  to  seventy  miles,  and  although 
at  that  epoch  of  highly  developed  civilization  the  region 
was  not  waste  in  the  same  degree  as  at  present,  the  march 
of  Aurelian  still  remains  a  considerable  feat,  especially  as 
the  light  horsemen  of  the  enemy  swarmed  round  the 
Roman  army  on  all  sides."  ^ 

The  "march,  however,  of  a  strong,  compact  army,  flushed 
with  victory,  and  superior,  as  a  whole,  to  anything  the 
Palmyrans  could  bring  against  it,  was  a  simple  matter, 
compared  to  the  work  of  keeping  communications  open, 
and  the  victualling  of  the  besiegers  by  means  of  long 
trains  of  baggage  animals  through  a  dreary  waste  in  the 
hands  of  the  desert  cavalry. 

^The  Provinces  of  the  Roman  Empire,  Vol.  II.  110 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  153 

It  is  more  than  probable  that  the  country  from  which 
the  Pahnyrans  had  been  beaten  back  had  definitely  taken 
side  with  the  victorious  Aurelian,  whom  they  recognized 
as  the  legitimate  Augustus. 

Among  the  nationalities  who  fought  under  the  eagles 
at  Hums,  there  were  divisions  from  Mesopotamia,  Syria, 
Phoenicia,  and  Palestine.  These  were  doubtless  Palmyra 
legions  who  had  joined  the  emperor  on  his  victorious 
march  through  Asia  Minor.  The  defection  of  these 
troops,  and  the  march  of  events,  would  have  a  deter- 
mining influence  on  the  different  districts. 

Besides,  Aurelian,  recognizing  that  the  different  towns 
and  peoples  had  submitted  to  Palmyran  authority  with 
the  sanction  of  Rome,  treated  them  with  generous  gentle- 
ness, and  his  final  triumph  was  as  much  due  to  wise 
statesmanship  as  to  skilful  generalship.  It  is,  I  think, 
therefore,  almost  certain  that  the  Rornan  communications, 
as  well  as  their  base  of  supplies,  were  to  a  large  extent 
under  friendly  control.  And  even  with  the  Bedawin, 
Roman  gold  exercised  a  moderating  influence. 

We  have  no  reason  to  doubt  the  statement  of  the  his- 
torian :  "  Aurelian  besieged  the  city  quite  round,  and 
engaged  the  neighbouring  nations  to  supply  his  army 
with  provisions." 

Poor  Zenobia  was  now  shut  up  in  her  beleaguered 
desert  home,  with  her  own  beloved  Palmyrans. 

After  the  battle  of  Hums,  the  emperor,  pointing  to  her 
losses  in  the  Orontes  battle,  called  on  her  to  submit; 
but  she  replied  that  only  her  Roman  troops  were  slain, 


154  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

and  that  she  had  still  her  own  Orientals,  who  did  not 
acknowledge  defeat,  to  fall  back  upon. 

She  had  fled  to  Palmyra  in  such  haste,  that  she  was 
unable  to  carry  away  from  Hums  her  vast  treasures  of 
gold,  gems,  and  silk,  and  these  fell  into  the  hands  of  her 
enemy. 

The  provinces  which  formed  her  kingdom  had  been 
wrested  from  her.  In  the  year  270  a.d.,  her  troops,  after 
a  desperate  struggle,  had  been  driven  out  of  Egypt. 
Aurelian,  in  his  victorious  campaign,  had  wrested  from 
her  Asia  Minor  and  Syria.  The  Parthians,  whose  assist- 
ance she  expected  on  the  Orontes,  had  failed  her.  The 
aged  Sapor,  doubtless  recognizing  that  a  Roman  emperor 
of  the  genuine  kind  had  arisen,  and  that  the  period  of 
Gallienus  had  passed,  prudently  left  his  old  foe  Zenobia 
to  her  fate. 

What,  however,  rendered  the  cause  of  Zenobia  hope- 
less, was  the  fact  that  the  Romans  who  had  not  aban- 
doned her  cause  were  slain.  The  triumphs  of  Zenobia, 
and  of  her  husband  Odainathus,  were  triumphs  of  the 
Roman  arms.  Her  conquests  were  made  in  the  name  of 
Rome,  and  the  steady  Roman  legions  carried  her  to  vic- 
tory. But  the  power  of  Rome  had  revived,  and  the 
Oriental  was  a  feeble  reed  in  the  face  of  the  imperial 
storm. 

In  these  circumstances,  perhaps  better  understood  by 
Zenobia  than  by  any  of  her  generals,  the  defence  of  Pal- 
myra was  undertaken. 

Her  archers  manned  the  battlements,  her  engines  hurled 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  155 

great  stones  on  the  attacking  Romans,  her  guards  were 
massed  at  convenient  places  so  as  to  be  ready  to  move 
quickly  to  threatened  positions.  Zenobia  rode  from  point 
to  point,  surrounded  by  her  generals,  and  by  her  restless 
activity,  as  well  as  by  her  addresses  to  the  soldiers,  en- 
couraged the  defenders. 

A  very  large  area  had  to  be  protected.  As  we  stand 
on  the  summit  of  the  castle,  we  can  easily  trace  the 
ancient  wall,  which  I  have  already  described  as  begin- 
ning outside  the  Ephca  fountain,  and  running  westward 
along  the  highest  ridge  of  the  hill,  to  the  Damascus  road, 
where  there  were  strong  forts ;  then  turning  in  a  north- 
erly direction,  and  passing  along  the  highest  ridge  of  the 
mountain  west  of  the  city,  and  including  the  present 
castle,  which  probably  stands  on  the  foundation  of  an 
older  structure,  and  having  cleared  the  city  by  a  circuit 
of  a  dozen  miles,  it  turned  in  an  easterly  direction  and 
passed  around,  completing  the  enclosure. 

From  the  castle  hill  Zenobia  could  look  down  on  the 
entire  wall,  and  on  every  position  of  friend  and  foe,  with 
the  exception  of  the  Roman  camp  at  the  Abu  el-Fawaris 
water. 

The  siege  was  pressed  with  all  the  force  at  Aurelian's 
command,  and  resisted  with  chivalrous  courage  by  the 
Palmyrans.  Without  her  gold,  and  without  her  allies, 
Zenobia  was  hard  pressed. 

The  sands  of  Palmyra  are  full  of  little  copper  coins. 
After  strong  winds  the  people  of  Palmyra  gather  them  in 
handfuls.     I  bought  hundreds  of  them  for  a  few  piasters. 


156  PALMYRA   AND   ZEN  OBI  A. 

They  are  generally  adorned  with  radiated  heads,  gazelles, 
fishes,  zodiacal  signs,  and  such  like  emblems.  They  are 
probably  specimens  of  the  currency  with  which  Zenobia 
resisted  the  siege. 

The  siege  was  fruitful  of  stirring  incidents.  Zosimus 
tells  of  the  emperor  approaching  the  walls,  and  being 
jeered  at  by  the  defender's,  and  of  a  Persian  shooting  with 
an  arrow  a  Palmyran  who  had  mocked  the  emperor  to  his 
face  for  not  taking  the  city. 

A  letter  from  Aurelian  to  the  senate  shows  the  light  in 
which  he  regarded  Zenobia's  defence  :  — 

"The  Romans  tell  me  that  I  am  waging  war  against 
a  woman,  as  if  Zenobia  was  contending  against  me  with 
her  own  strength  alone,  and  not  with  that  of  a  host 
of  enemies.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  many  arrows  and 
engines  of  war  there  are,  how  many  weapons,  how  many 
stones :  there  is  no  part  of  the  wall  which  is  not  furnished 
with  two  or  three  balistas ;  tormenting  fire  is  poured  from 
them.  What  more  ?  Do  you  say  she  fears  ?  She  fights 
as  if  she  feared  punishment.  But  I  trust  that  the  gods, 
who  have  never  been  wanting  to  our  exertions,  will  de- 
fend the  Roman  state."  ^ 

Aurelian  had  hoped  to  have  taken  Palmyra  by  storm 
on  reaching  it,  but  owing  to  the  defences,  and  gallant 
resistance,  the  spring  of  272  A.D.  was  passing  away,  and 
the  city  still  held  out.  Again  he  summoned  Zenobia 
to  surrender.  The  emperors  letter  and  the  queen's 
reply  are  both  preserved.      And  remembering  the  acute 

1  Hist,  August,  p.  218. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


157 


crisis  in  which  they  were  composed,  I  give  them  in 
extenso :  — 

"Aurelian,  Emperor  of  the  Roman  world,  Receptor 
Orientis,  to  Zenobia  and  the  others  united  together  in 
hostile  alliance. 

"  You  ought  to  do  that  of  your  own  accord  which  is 
commanded  by  my  letters.  I  charge  you  to  surrender  on 
your  lives  being  spared.  And  you,  O  Zenobia,  may  pass 
your  life  in  some  spot  where  I  shall  place  you  in  pursu- 
ance of  the  distinguished  sentence  of  the  Senate  ;  your 
gems,  your  silver,  gold,  silk,  horses,  camels,  being  given 
up  to  the  Roman  treasury. 

"The  laws  and  institutions  of  the  Palmyrans  shall  be 
respected." 

Zenobia  replied  as  follows :  — 

"  Zenobia,  Queen  of  the  East,  to  Aurelian  Augustus. 

"No  one,  as  yet,  except  thee,  has  dared  to  ask  what 
thou  demandest.  Whatever  is  to  be  achieved  by  war 
must  be  sought  by  valour.  Thou  askest  me  to  surrender, 
as  if  thou  wert  ignorant  that  Queen  Cleopatra  chose 
rather  to  perish  than  to  survive  her  dignity.  The  Per- 
sian auxiliaries  whom  we  await  cannot  be  far  off;  the 
Saracens  are  on  our  side,  as  well  as  the  Armenians.  The 
Syrian  robbers,  O  Aurelian,  have  conquered  your  army : 
what  then  if  that  band  which  we  expect  on  all  sides 
shall  come? 

"  You  will  then  lay  aside  the  superciliousness  with  which 
you  now  demand  my  surrender,  as  if  you  were  victor 
on  every  side." 


158  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

These  precious  documents  have  been  preserved  by 
Flavins  Vopiscus.^ 

Nicomachus  declared  that  Zenobia  dictated  her  letter 
in  the  Syrian  tongue,  and  that  he  translated  it  into  Greek, 
but  Zenobia  herself  is  said  to  have  confessed  to  Aurelian 
that  Longinus  had  dictated  the  letter. 

On  receipt  of  Zenobia's  letter  the  efforts  of  the  be- 
siegere  were  redoubled.  From  the  castle  mountain  the 
queen  watched  the  eastern  horizon  with  straining  eyes, 
to  catch  a  gli-mpse  of  the  Persian  succour  which  she  ex- 
pected. Towards  the  west  she  saw,  among  the  billowy 
hills  that  stretched  away  to  snow-clad  Lebanon,  only 
long  strings  of  camels  bearing  supplies  to  her  foes. 
Aurelian  had  intercepted  the  Persians,  and  bought  over 
the  Armenians  and  Saracens. 

1  Hist.  August,  p.  218. 


ROMAX   LAMP,    WITH   SEVEJf   BALLS  REPRKSEXTIXO  THE   SEVEN   PLANETS. 

Translation  of  Palmyrene  Inscription — aglibol  and  sialakbel. 


FKIEZE   IN    TK-MPLK   OF   THE   SUN. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


TN  these  straits  Zenobia  resolved  that  she  would  go  to 
-*■  Persia,  and  return  with  a  relieving  army.  She  visited 
the  entire  defences  of  the  city,  and  charged  the  defend- 
ers to  hold  out  to  the  last.  Then  she  held  a  council  of 
war  with  her  ministers  and  generals,  and  sallying  forth 
on  a  dark  night,  with  a  few  companions,  the  heroic 
young  Queen  passed  the  Roman  lines,  and  made  a^-des- 
perate  rush  for  freedom. 

She  was  mounted  on  a  she-camel  known  for  its  wonder- 
ful swiftness.  The  point  of  the  Euphrates  at  which  she 
wished  to  cross  was  distant  five  days'  journey.  Fear,  as 
well  as  the  eager  desire  to  bring  succour  to  the  beloved 
Palmyra,  lent  wings  to  the  fugitives.  With  a  few  short 
snatches  of  sleep  on  the  bare  sand,  she  pressed  forward 
night  and  day. 

At  last  the  green  streak  of  the  Euphrates  appeared  in 
the  distance.  The  dromedary  increased  its  speed  to  reach 
the   water.     Already  Zenobia  felt  safe ;   but  during   the 


i6o  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

last  half  hour  of  the  journey  a  little  cloud  of  dust  had 
been  following  her  track,  and  seemed  to  be  gaining 
upon  her.  After  a  time  it  became  apparent  that  the 
cloud  of  dust  was  raised  by  a  band  of  pursuing  Romans. 
Many  a  time  the  desert  has  resounded  to  the  yells  of 
the  pursuer  and  pursued,  but  never  since  or  before  in 
a  crisis  when  so  much  depended  on  the  result  of  the 
race.  Swiftly  and  silently  Zenobia's  camel  approached 
the  great  river.  Zenobia  slipped  from  her  camel  to 
the  ground,  and  ran  panting  like  a  gazelle  to  a  boat 
which  was  preparing  to  take  her  to  the  other  side.  She 
sprang  into  the  boat.  She  is  safe,  and  there  is  still 
hope  for  Palmyra !  But  a  slight  delay  occurred  in 
the  starting  of  the  boat,  whether  by  entanglement,  or 
treachery,  will  never  now  be  known.  The  delay  was 
sufficient  to  turn  the  balance  in  favour  of  the  West  and 
to  alter  the  destiny  of  the  East.  With  foaming  horses 
the  Romans  came  thundering  to  the  bank  of  the  river, 
and  seized  the  heroic  Queen  just  as  the  boat  was  putting 
off.i 

The  weary  and  baffled  Zenobia  was  hurried  back  to 
Palmyra  by  her  captors,  and  ushered  into  the  presence 
of  her  conqueror.  It  was  a  bitter  moment  for  the  proud, 
fallen  Queen.  Addressing  his  captive,  Aureliau  sternly 
demanded,  "How,  O  Zenobia,  hast  thou  dared  to  insult 
Roman  emperors?" 

She  replied,  "Thee  I  acknowledge  to  be  emperor,  since 

1  Deyr,  on  the  Euphrates,  is  believed  to  be  the  crossing  at  which 
Zenobia  was  captured. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  i6i 

thou  liast  conquered.  I  have  not  considered  as  chiefs 
[j'principes ']  Gallienus,  Aureolus,  and  the  rest."  ^ 

Palmyra  fell  with  the  queen  under  whom  it  had  reached 
its  highest  renown.  As  soon  as  it  was  known  in  the  city 
that  she  was  a  captive  in  the  Roman  camp,  the  Palmyrans 
sought  the  clemency  of  the  conqueror.  They  thronged 
out  of  the  city  with  presents  and  sacrifices,  and  the  em- 
peror, according  to  his  enlightened  policy,  treated  the 
people  with  generous  kindness. 

Very  different  treatment  was  reserved  for  Zenohia  and 
her  advisers.  Leaving  a  small  Roman  garrison  at  Pal- 
myra, the  emperor  returned  to  Emesa,  leading  with  him 
the  functionaries  and  officers  whom  he  had  marked  for 
punishment.  Vopiscus  has  left  it  on  record  that  the  sol- 
diers clamoured  for  the  queen's  death,  but  Aurelian 
reserved  her  for  his  Roman  triumph. 

It  is  said  that,  owing  to  harsh  treatment  and  intimida- 
tion, Zenobia,  crushed  by  the  magnitude  of  her  misfor- 
tunes, admitted  in  a  moment  of  weakness  that  Longinus 
had  dictated  the  defiant  letter  which  had  so  enraged  the 
emperor. 

Mommsen  sums  up  the  testimony  of  the  Roman  his- 
torian thus:  — 

"  Zenobia,  after  she  had  for  years  borne  rule  with  mas- 
culine energy,  did  not  now  disdain  to  invoke  a  woman's 
privileges  and  to  throw  the  responsibility  on  her  advisers, 
of  whom,  not  a   few,  including  the   celebrated  scholar, 

1  Trebellius  PoUio  in  Hist.  August. 
11 


1 62  PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

Cassius  Longinus,  perished  under  tlie  axe  of  the  execu- 
tioner." 1 

I  have  a  strong  conviction  that  this  verdict  of  the 
historian  is  too  sweeping.  The  brilliant  Longinus  was 
put  to  death  at  Emesa,  his  own  cit}^;  but  Aurelian,  in 
such  matters,  did  not  found  his  decisions  on  the  confes- 
sions of  a  crushed  and  helpless  woman.  The  emperor, 
in  his  acts,  was  guided  by  state  reasons.  The  name 
"Cassius,"  as  we  have  already  pointed  out,  was  associated 
with  anti-imperial  and  even  regicidal  ideas,  and  I  think 
these  were  reasons  of  suificient  weight  with  Aurelian  for 
ridding  the  Roman  world  of  "  Cassius  "  Longinus,  with- 
out placing  the  blame  at  the  door  of  Zenobia. 

Longinus  took  a  leading  part  in  the  war  against  the 
imperial  authority,  and  the  cause  which  he  espoused 
having  failed,  he  paid  the  penalty  with  his  life.  It  was 
sad  that  the  author  of  the  great  work  on  "  The  Sublime  " 
should  have  perished  so  miserably,  but  Roman  law  had 
no  exception  in  favour  of  philosophers  who  dabbled  in 
treason. 

Aurelian  hurried  home  with  Zenobia,  and  the  spoils  of 
war,  to  enjoy  his  triumph ;  but  he  had  scarcely  reached 
Europe,  when  a  message  from  Palmyra  caused  him  to 
retrace  his  steps.  Possibly,  in  revenge  for  the  slaughter 
of  Palmyran  chiefs,  the  people  had  revolted  against  Roman 
authority,  and  slaughtered  the  garrison. 

Aurelian,  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time,  reached 
Palmyra.  He  entered  the  city  without  opposition,  and 
1  The  Province?  of  tUe  Jlonian  Empire,  Vol.  II,  1 10, 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  163 

fell  upon  the  citizens  without  mercy.  The  palaces  and 
temples  were  sacked  and  despoiled,  and  the  place  became, 
as  the  word  Tadmor  signifies,  a  ruin. 

Nothing  can  so  well  describe  the  general  havoc  as  a 
letter  from  Aurelian  himself  to  Ceionius  Bassus :  — 

"You  must  now  sheathe  the  sword.  The  Palmyrans 
have  been  sufficiently  slaughtered  and  cut  to  pieces.  We 
have  not  spared  women  ;  we  have  slain  children.  We 
have  strangled  old  men ;  we  have  destroyed  the  husband- 
men. To  whom,  then,  shall  we  leave  the  land?  To 
whom  shall  we  leave  the  city?  We  must  spare  those 
that  remain,  for  we  think  that  the  few  who  are  now  exist- 
ing will  take  warning  from  the  punishment  of  the  many 
who  have  been  destroyed. 

"  The  Temple  of  the  Sun  at  Palmyra,  which  the  eagle- 
bearer  of  the  third  legion,  with  the  standard  and  ensign 
bearers,  and  the  trumpeters,  and  clarion-blowers,  have 
despoiled,  I  wish  restored  to  its  former  state.  You 
have  three  hundred  pounds  of  gold  from  the  casket 
of  Zenobia.  You  have  eighteen  hundred  pounds  of  silver 
of  the  effects  of  the  Palmyrans.  You  have  the  royal 
gems.  From  all  these  make  a  creditable  temple,  and  you 
will  do  a  very  agreeable  thing  to  me  and  to  the  immortal 
gods.  I  will  write  to  the  senate  requesting  them  to  send 
a  high  priest  to  consecrate  the  temple."  ^ 

Aurelian  once  more  turned  his  back  on  Palmyra,  and 
set  out  in  haste  for  Rome.  The  Syrian  cities  had  experi- 
enced his  clemency,  but  they  learned  from  the  fate  of 
^  Flavius  Vopiscus  in  Hist.  August,  p.  219i 


1 64  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

Tadmor  that  lie  could  be  ruthless,  aud  the  Orientals  did 
not  need  a  second  lesson.  Palmyra  having  been  destroyed, 
the  Empire  in  the  East  was  at  peace. 

Aurelian  led  in  his  train  a  number  of  Palmja'a  notables 
to  grace  his  triumph ;  but  in  crossing  the  strait  between 
Byzantium  and  Chalcedon  all  the  captives  were  drowned, 
except  Zenobia  and  her  two  sons. 

The  triumph  of  the  conqueror  on  his  return  to  Rome 
was  the  grandest  ever  enjoyed  by  a  Roman  emperor. 
Flavins  Vopiscus  has  left  us  full  details  of  the  barbaric 
pageant. 

Aurelian  rode  in  a  magnificent  chariot,  which  he  had 
taken  from  the  king  of  the  Goths ;  and  the  chariot  was 
drawn  by  four  stags,  which  the  emperor,  on  his  arrival  at 
the  capitol,  sacrificed  to  Jupiter  Capitolinus.  Twenty 
elephants,  two  hundred  wild  animals,  including  tigers  and 
elks,  and  eight  hundred  gladiators^  marched  before  him, 
accompanied  by  the  treasures  of  Zenobia  and  the  spoils  of 
Palmyra.  There  were  also  captives  from  the  different 
peoples  whom  he  had  conquered,  and  ten  Gothic  women 
in  complete  armour.  The  carriage  of  Odainathus,  over- 
laid with  gold  and  silver  and  studded  with  precious  gems, 
was  there,  and  a  splendid  carriage,  the  gift  of  the  king  of 
Persia.  But  the  object  which  gave  to  the  procession  its 
crowning  interest  was  the  captive  Queen  Zenobia.  Every 
window,  balcony,  and  roof  was  crowded  by  the  maids  and 
matrons  of  Rome,  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  Oriental 
woman  who  had  contended  with  Rome  for  supremacy. 

Zenobia,  in  the  days  of  her  pride  and  power,  had  caused 


COLONNADE  OF  TUfa  TEMPLE   OF  THE  SUN. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  167 

a  splendid  chariot  to  be  built,  and  it  was  said  that  she  had 
declared  she  would  enter  Rome,  a  conqueror,  in  that 
chariot.  The  Roman  crowd  saw  the  graceful  and  beau- 
teous lady  tottering  through  the  streets  on  foot,  in  front 
of  her  own  chariot,  not  in  it,  her  hands  bound  with  golden 
chains  and  a  golden  chain  round  her  neck.  Golden  rings 
were  round  her  ankles,  and  slaves  supported  her,  as,  laden 
with  jewelry,  she  staggered  wearily  forward  in  front  of  her 
conqueror.  Behind  him  the  senate  and  the  victorious 
army  completed  the  show. 

On  that  day  Rome  enjoyed  her  grandest  triumphal 
procession  and  reached  her  deepest  degradation.  In  all 
the  annals  of  perverted  patriotism  and  abused  power 
there  is  no  more  brutal  spectacle  than  the  triumph  of 
great  and  imperial  Rome  over  that  humbled  and  helpless 
Queen. 

It  is  pleasant  to  reflect  that  Aurelian's  swaggering 
triumph  did  not  pass  without  protest,  and  that  the  con- 
queror's justification  of  himself  is  an  abiding  testimony 
to  the  greatness  of  the  illustrious  woman  whom  he  had 
crushed,  and  sought  to  degrade. 

In  a  letter  to  the  senate  he  writes :  — 

"  I  hear,  O  conscript  fathers,  that  it  has  been  urged 
against  me  that  I  have  not  accomplished  a  manly  ^  task, 
in  triumphing  over  Zenobia. 

"My  accusei-s  would  not  know  how  to  praise  me 
enough,  if   they  knew  that  woman,  —  if   they  knew  her 

i"Quod  non  virile  munus  impleveriin  Zenobiam  triumphando. "  — 
Trebellius  Pollio,   Hist.  August,  pp.  198,  199. 


i68  PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

prudence  in  council,  her  firmness  in  purpose,  the  dignity 
she  preserves  towards  her  army,  her  munificence  when 
necessity  requires  it,  her  severity  when  to  be  severe  is 
just.  I  may  say  that  the  victory  of  Odainathus  over  the 
Persians,  and  his  putting  Sapor  to  flight  and  reaching 
Ctesiphon,  were  due  to  her.  I  can  assert  that  such  was 
the  dread  entertained  of  this  woman,  among  the  natives 
of  the  East  and  of  Egypt,  that  she  kept  in  clieck  the 
Arabians,  the  Saracens,  and  the  Armenians." 

We  have  no  certain  knowledge  of  Zenobia's  career 
after  the  triumphal  procession.  There  are  two  tradi- 
tions regarding  her.  One,  which  is  the  more  generally 
accepted,  represents  her  as  married  to  a  Roman  noble, 
and  living  on  an  estate  given  her  by  the  emperor,  at 
Conche  on  the  Tiber,  where,  as  the  mother  of  a  numerous 
progeny,  she  lived  and  died  a  much-respected  Roman 
matron.  This  tradition  seems  to  rest  on  the  fact  that 
some  of  her  descendants,  a  century  afterwards,  were  men 
of  senatorial  rank  and  of  high  standing  at  Rome.  But 
it  must  be  remembered  that  Zenobia's  two  sons  accom- 
panied her  to  Rome,  and  the  descendants  referred  to 
may  have  been  their  offspring. 

The  other,  and  I  believe  more  probable,  account,  is 
given  by  the  Roman  historian  Zosimus,  who  declares 
that,  mourning  over  the  utter  destruction  of  Palmyra 
and  her  ruined  fortunes,  Zenobia  refused  all  food,  lan- 
guished, and  died. 

As  we  have  already  seen,  many  circumstances,  per- 
sonal, political,  and  local,  contributed  to  the  sudden  rise 


PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  169 

and  brief  glory  of  Palmyra,  but  the  desert  city  had  in 
itself  no  certain  element  of  abiding  stability.  To  the 
Roman  connection  it  owed  its  wealth  and  splendour. 
The  hand  that  made  it  for  its  uses  extinguished  it  in  a 
blaze  of  glory  that  lighted  up  a  dark  period,  when  it 
had  ceased  to  be  useful. 

Other  highways  to  the  East,  through  Aleppo  on  the 
north  and  Bosra  on  the  south,  became  safe  for  com- 
merce under  Roman  sway,  and  the  meteor-like  glory 
of  Tadmor  became  a  thing  of  the  past.  .  The  Roman 
hand,  however,  Avas  not  all  at  once  withdrawn  from  the 
fallen  city,  and  in  accordance  with  the  letter  of  Aurelian 
which  we  have  quoted,  the  temple  was  patched  up,  but 
it  fell  far  short  of  its  former  magnificence.  Under  the 
reign  of  Diocletian,  the  walls  of  the  city  were  rebuilt 
round  a  smaller  area ;  but  Palmyra's  queen  was  degraded, 
its  princes  slain,  its  culture  and  public  spirit  strangled, 
and  natural  laws  were  at  work  which  carried  the  golden 
tide  of  commerce  past  its  gates. 

A  Roman  governor  and  garrison  occupied  the  restored 
city,  but  they  could  not  save  it  from  decay,  w^hen  its 
merchants  were  slain  and  its  industry  blighted,  and  it 
sank  b}'^  degrees,  so  that  when  Justinian  repaired  it  about 
the  year  400,  it  had  been  for  some  time  almost  quite 
deserted.  The  Justinian  walls  are  more  circumscribed 
still  than  those  of  Diocletian,  and  it  is  by  the  area 
enclosed  by  the  Justinian  walls  that  modern  travellers 
estimate  its  greatness. 

At  a  later  period  it  seems  to  have  been  a  border  town  of 


170 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


some  importance,  as  it  became  the  seat  of  a  bishop,  in  the 
province  of  which  Damascus  was  the  metropolis. 

After  passing  through  many  vicissitudes,  Tadmor  fell 
under  the  withering  blight  of  Islam,  and  then  its  fate  was 
sealed. 

The  finest  structures  were  pulled  down  to  erect  Sai-a- 
cenic  fortifications,  and  amid  the  ruined  splendours  of  the 
Temple  of  the  Sun  the  entire  population  now  herd  in 
clay  huts. 


SCROLL  AND  CAPITAL  OF  PILASTER,    TEMPLE   Of  THE  SUN. 


4^:^?f^«!S?«^J!^3?^?'?^»f1^3'^?^^ 


jsaassxiaas^^ 


FRIEZE,    GREAT   DOOR   OF  TEMPLE   COURT. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 


/^N  the  forenoon  of  our  last  day  at  Palmyra,  we  were 
^-^  sitting  on  the  brackets  of  the  columns  in  the  por- 
tico of  the  little  temple,  husbanding  our  strength  for  the 
return  journey,  and  watching  the  wonderful  play  of  light 
and  shadow,  of  roseate  hues,  and  golden  tints,  which  over- 
spread the  ruins,  and  gave  them  their  greatest  charm,^ 
when  suddenly  we  heard  the  shrill  war-song  of  the  Beda- 
win.  In  a  few  minutes  we  saw  a  straggling  band  of 
spearmen  gallop  through  the  pass,  and  down  to  the  warm 
fountain.  They  disappeared  from  our  view,  and  their 
war-song  ceased ;  but  as  we  had  learnt  coming  along  that 
the  Bedawin  were  in  a  particularly  Ishmaelitisli  mood, 
we  called  on  our  servants  to  hand  us  up  our  breech- 
loaders and  cartridges.     We  knew  that  the  only  law  in 

1  Tourists  generally  speak  of  "the  marble  ruins  of  Palmyra  white  as 
snow."  There  is  no  marble  in  Palmyra,  and  the  iniins  are  not  white. 
The  stone  used  is  a  close-grained  limestone  (except  four  granite  mono- 
liths) of  a  yellowish  colour,  streaked  and  flushed  with  pink.  The  ruins 
and  whole  landscape  have  a  yellow,  golden  hue  which  is  very  striking. 


172  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

force,  or  acknowledged,  in  the  desert,  was  that  of  the 
strongest,  and  we  resolved,  in  case  of  absolute  necessity, 
to  fall  in  with  the  law.  I  was  just  then  busily  engaged 
in  fixing  the  position  of  tlie  tomb-towers,  and  as  I  had 
an  intelligent  sheikh  telling  me  their  names,  I  took  little 
notice  of  the  Bedawin,  who  were  coming  up  slily  at  a 
canter,  as  if  they  meant  to  pass  us;  but  just  when  they 
came  within  charging  distance,  the  leader  turned  his  horse 
and  spear  towards  us,  and  went  right  at  us. 

My  companion's  coolness  was  inimitable.  With  his  back 
against  the  column,  and  his  legs  dangling  from  the  pedes- 
tal on  which  he  sat,  he  smoked  his  cigar,  and  manipulated 
his  cartridges  as  methodically  as  he  plied  his  instruments 
when  stuffing  a  bird,  and  with  certainly  more  composure 
than  he  used  to  exhibit  when  under  fire  in  the  House  of 
Commons. 

He  afterwards  told  me  the  secret  of  his  composure. 
He  felt  safe  from  our  own  wild  party,  who  could  not 
shoot  him  from  behind,  through  the  column,  and  he  was 
confident  that  we  could  empty  the  saddles  as  fast  as  they 
came  up.  We  determined  that  we  would  not  let  the 
ruffians,  who  stripped  women  and  stole  donkeys,  strip  and 
plunder  us  with  impunity. 

For  a  moment,  it  seemed  that  we  were  in  for  a  brush 
with  real  Bedawin.  Most  of  our  guard  were  absent,  and 
Brandy  Bob,  instead  of  calling  his  men  to  arms,  got  hold 
of  a  soldier's  rifle,  quietly  lay  down  behind  a  prostrate 
column,  and  covered  his  man.  Our  soldier  of  the  blind 
horse,  with  more  prudence  than  his  captain,  got  into  the 


r.RAXITE   MOXOLITHS. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  175 

temple,  and  putting  his  rifle  through  a  hole  laid  his  cheek 
to  the  stock  and  his  finger  to  the  trigger. 

We  marked  out  a  wall  about  twenty  yards  distant,  and 
resolved  to  fire  as  soon  as  the  Bedawin  passed  it.  As  they 
approached  they  quickened  their  pace,  and  the  leader 
came  on  a  little  in  front,  with  his  spear  pointed  against 
one  of  our  breasts,  his  teeth  set,  and  his  eyes  flashing  fire. 
The  Arab  war-song  ceased,  and  there  was  no  sound  except 
the  clatter  of  galloping  horses,  and  my  general  order,  oft- 
repeated,  "  Don't  fire,  till  they  are  close  upon  us." 

The  fatal  wall  was  approached,  but  just  then  Gazgiway, 
who  could  contain  himself  no  longer,  rushed  out  from 
behind  us  with  a  double-barrelled  gun,  and  hurled  such 
a  volley  of  Egyptian  oaths  at  the  Bedawin,  that  he  fairly 
staggered  them.  The  whole  party  hesitated,  wheeled 
to  the  right,  and  made  a  graceful  and  masterly  retreat. 
Gaz^way  by  his  horrible  howling  saved  us,  but  much 
wrath  fell  on  him  for  his  imprudence,  so  popular  is  a 
fight  everywhere. 

The  Bedawin  then  charged  right  up  to  the  village ; 
but  the  Palmyrans,  who  had  been  watching  our  tactics 
from  the  walls  of  the  temple,  met  them  in  the  gate 
with  matchlocks  and  lighted  fusees,  and  the  robbers,  again 
foiled,  fell  back  and  halted  in  the  triumphal  arch.  In 
a  moment  they  picketed  their  horses  and  threw  them- 
selves on  the  sand  to  rest. 

I  had  often  wished  to  see  a  foraging  party  of  Arabs, 
for  the  tribes  send  out  their  best  horses  and  arms,  and 
only  their  picked  men.     I  resolved  to  visit  the  party; 


176  PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 

but  Brandy  Bob,  Avho  amused  himself  with  aiming  at 
the  Bedawin  with  a  loaded  rifle,  declared  that  he  would 
not  consider  himself  responsible  for  my  safety  if  I 
moved  beyond  our  camp.  I  thought  it  well  to  relieve 
him  from  the  weight  of  responsibility,  and  the  opportu- 
nity was  not  to  be  lost,  so  I  started  alone  for  the  Beda- 
win, who  were  distant  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  On 
the  way  I  met  some  of  our  soldiers  coming  back  to  our 
camp,  but  crouching  along  hollow  places,  and  behind 
ruins,  so  as  not  to  be  seen  by  the  spearmen.  The  vil- 
lagers also,  who  were  in  the  gardens  and  fields,  were 
stealing  home  and  entering  the  temple  through  holes 
in  the  wall. 

I  walked  very  slowly,  with  the  Bedawiu  in  view  all 
the  way,  and  in  order  that  I  might  appear  as  composed 
as  possible  I  examined  all  the  ruins  in  my  path,  though 
I  had  seen  them  fifty  times  before.  When  I  came  within 
a  few  perches  of  the  triumphal  arch,  one  of  the  Bedawin 
sprang  to  his  feet,  seized  a  club  and  a  spear,  and  rushed 
at  me  like  an  infuriate  bull.  Never  did  I  see  a  man, 
even  in  a  mad-house,  so  utterly  beside  himself  as  that 
man  appeared  to  be.  He  was  livid  with  rage,  and  his 
passion  seemed  to  be  choking  him,  and  as  he  hurled 
imprecations  at  me  the  foam  flew  from  his  mouth. 

I  met  his  exhibition  of  wrath  with  a  laugh,  and,  push- 
ing the  point  of  his  spear  aside,  I  walked  past  him,  as 
if  I  was  accustomed  to  that  sort  of  thing,  and  tliought 
nothing  of  it.  I  went  straight,  and  at  my  leisure,  to  the 
rest  of  the  Arabs,  and   he   followed  me,  roaring  like  a 


PALMYRA   AND  ZKNOBIA.  177 

wild  beast.  The  others  received  me  with  scowling 
looks,  and  none  of  them  returned  my  salutation.  I  sat 
down  upon  a  stone,  fully  believing  myself  in  a  trap,  and 
tried  to  look  composed,  though  I  did  not  feel  so. 

"  Who  do  you  think  I  am  ? "  thundered  the  wrathful 
Bedawi. 

"  I  think,"  said  I,  "  you  would  be  a  magnificent-look- 
ing fellow,  if  you  did  not  spoil  a  handsome  face  by  bad 
temper." 

"  Know,  then,"  said  he,  "  that  I  am  the  great  Kufeiley, 
at  whose  name  pashas  tremble." 

I  said,  no  one  denied  that  he  was  the  great  Kufeiley, 
but  that  I  had  seen  as  pleasant-looking  a  man  somewhere 
previously ;  and  then,  seeing  the  necessity  for  a  diver- 
sion, I  added,  pointing  to  a  horrible-looking  cut-throat, 
who  stood  glowering  at  me,  — 

"  Look  at  the  sweet  and  pleasant  countenance  of  your 
friend  there,  on  the  approach  of  a  guest." 

The  wit  was  of  the  feeblest  quality,  but  it  did  its  work, 
and  a  broad  grin  overspread  every  countenance,  even  that 
of  the  infuriate  Kufeiley.  A  joke  that  leaves  you  to 
assume  that  you  are  superior  to  some  one  else  is  always 
appreciated. 

In  less  than  five  minutes  from  the  birth  of  the  first 
smile  we  were  deep  in  the  politics  of  the  desert  and 
the  city.  Kufeiley  had  a  grievance  against  the  Turks  — 
as  who  has  not,  that  has  any  dealings  with  them? 
They  had  ceased  to  pay  a  stipulated  tribute  for  the 
right  of  peaceful  passage,  and  he  would  reduce  them  to 

12  - 


178  PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

terms,  as  he  liad  often  done  before.  He  had  come  ex- 
pressly to  plunder  us,  by  way  of  punishing  the  Turks, 
and  as  Allah  was  great,  he  would  scatter  us  like  dust 
on  our  return  journey. 

Then  they  examined  everything  I  had,  like  big  chil- 
dren, and  asked  me  the  price  of  each  thing — my  boots, 
my  watch,  my  revolver,  my  hat ;  in  fact,  I  believe  they 
were  making  an  inventory  of  my  personal  effects,  to 
facilitate  future  division,  after  they  should  have  relieved 
me  of  them. 

I  broached  the  question  of  the  education  of  their  chil- 
dren, but  they  answered,  scornfully,  "  Do  you  want  to 
make  them  clerks?"  On  further  discussion,  they  prom- 
ised to  entertain  the  question,  or  submit  to  any  other 
humiliation,  if  I  would  procure  the  release  of  some  of 
their  tribe,  who  were,  they  said,  wrongfully  imprisoned 
in  Damascus. 

I  had  now  an  opportunity  to  become  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  robbers.  I  found  that  Kufeiley 
was  the  leader  of  that  branch  of  the  Amour  Arabs  who 
frequent  the  desert  between  Palmyra  and  Hums.  He 
did  not  exaggerate  the  terror  his  name  inspired,^  as  he 
was  one  of  the  most  active  and  bloody  of  all  the  Bedawin. 
He  was  a  short,  thick  man,  with  a  short,  black,  shaggy 
head  and  bull  neck,  and  with  innumerable  wrinkles  con- 
centrated round  his  crafty  eyes  and  liard,  relentless 
mouth.  His  flesh  looked  black  and  hard  as  dried  Bra- 
zilian beef. 

1  Kufeiley  was  shot  dead  through  the  breast  |.he  foUowiijg  spring,  neaF 
Hums,  by  fv  pe£),s3,nt  whom  he  \yas  plundering. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  179 

Second  in  command,  and  in  fame  for  bloody  deeds,  was 
Azzab,  the  father-in-law  of  Kufeiley,  a  tall,  spare  man. 
They  all  had  the  deep,  suspicions  eyes  of  their  race. 
They  were  armed  with  lances,  tufted  with  ostrich 
feathers,  and  most  of  them  had  clubs,  and  flint  pistols, 
and  crooked  daggers ;  and  there  was  one  double-barrelled 
fowling-piece,  which  they  seemed  to  regard  with  special 
affection.  They  exhibited  it  in  triumph ;  but  it  was  only 
a  Belgian  gun,  which  had  got  the  name  "  London " 
engraved  on  it  in  Damascus. 

They  all  appeared  as  if  they  had  dressed  at  an  "  old- 
clo'  "  shop,  as  there  was  nothing  like  uniformity  in  their 
apparel,  and  they  were  doubtless  arrayed  in  the  garments 
of  their  victims.  One  man  had  hung  about  him  the  black 
clothes  of  a  European,  much  too  large  for  him,  and  sadly 
in  want  of  buttons  in  certain  places :  the  ventilation  wan 
perfect.     Their  horses  were  weedy. 

While  I  lingered  with  the  Bedawin,  the  Turkish  gov- 
ernor of  Palmyra  joined  us,  accompanied  by  a  scribe. 
He  and  Kufeiley  fell  on  each  other's  necks,  and  it  soon 
became  apparent  why  we  and  the  Palmyrans  had  to 
defend  ourselves,  in  presence  of  a  Turkish  garrison. 
The  governor  got  a  fair  share  of  all  plunder  taken  by 
Kufeiley,  and  he  in  return  abstained  from  interfering 
with  that  chiefs  enterprises. 

On  our  arrival  at  Palmyra,  this  Turkish  official  paid 
several  visits  to  our  camp,  and  always,  on  leaving  us,  sent 
his  servant  to  ask  us  for  a  bottle  of  brandy.  Our  supply 
was  limited  to  one  bottle  for  medicinal  purposes,  but  we 


i8o  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

yielded  to  his  importunities  in  a  moment  of  weakness. 
We  could  not,  however,  give  him  the  whole  bottle,  and 
we  were  ashamed  to  send  it  half  full ;  so  we  did  as  the 
brewers  do  who  want  to  recoup  themselves  for  the 
lately  imposed  tax,  —  we  filled  it  up  with  water.  Appar- 
ently the  brandy  was  not  up  to  the  governor's  standard 
of  perfection,  or  he  had  got  from  us  all  that  his  heart 
desired,  for  he  appeared  at  our  tent  no  more,  and  his 
friendship  was  turned  into  hostility. 

My  interview  with  the  Bedawin  was  cut  short  by  a 
mounted  soldier,  who  came  galloping  up  from  Brandy 
Bob,  delivered  his  message  from  a  distance  of  twenty 
yards,  and  galloped  away  before  the  Arabs,  who  sprang 
to  their  feet,  had  even  time  to  fire  at  him. 

He  wished  me  to  return  at  once,  and  told  the  Bedawin 
that  if  they  did  not  retire  from  the  triumphal  arch  in 
twenty  minutes,  they  would  be  fired  on.  I  thought  he 
might  be  foolish  enough  to  keep  his  word,  and  so  I  re- 
turned to  prevent  mischief.  I  left  the  Bedawin  without 
having  effected  a  treaty  of  peace  for  our  party. 

On  my  return  to  the  camp,  our  cavalcade  Avere  getting 
ready  to  start  on  their  homeward  journey.  As  we  moved 
from  the  ruins,  some  of  the  Bedawin  went  before  us,  and 
some  of  them  followed  us,  but  they  always  kept  at  a 
respectful  distance.  Tliey  did  not  attack  us,  for  they 
prefer  plundering  to  fighting ;  but  they  kept  in  a  position 
from  which  they  could  have  cut  off  stragglers,  or  caught 
a  runaway  horse  or  mule,  had  there  been  any  such. 

Passing  into  the  long  plain  which  stretches  from  Pal- 


PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  i8i 

myra  to  near  Karyeteiu,  we  kept  to  the  right,  about  a 
mile  from  the  mountain  range  on  the  north.  The  Beda- 
win  marched  parallel  with  us  along  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tain. In  an  hour  and  a  half  we  reached  the  open  mouths 
of  a  subterranean  water-course.  The  openings  were  about 
eighty  feet  apart,  and  the  water  was  eighteen  feet  from 
the  surface  of  the  ground.  The  stones  round  the  sides 
of  the  openings  were  much  polished  and  grooved  by  the 
friction  of  ropes  drawing  up  water.  This  was  the  water 
of  the  Abu  el-Fawaris  fountain,  which  was  the  chief  supply 
of  Tadmor. 

We  pitched  our  camp  by  the  water,  at  a  point  due  west 
from  the  Castle  of  Palmyra.  The  place  seemed  to  have 
been  much  used  as  a  camping-ground.  The  plain  around 
us  was  green  with  the  el-kali^  and  another  shrub,  like  a 
dwarf  tamarisk ;  flocks  of  pigeons  and  vultures  swarmed 
about  us  to  get  at  the  water ;  and  the  Bedawin  encamped 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  right  opposite,  and  watched 
for  an  opportunity  to  attack  us. 

Danger  in  Syria  soon  loses  the  romance  of  novelty 
and  the  thrill  of  excitement.  I  remember  with  what 
feelings  of  horror  I  heard  from  our  first  landlord  in 
Damascus,  that  two  of  his  brothers  had  been  murdered 
in  the  room  which  we  had  made  our  chief  sitting-room. 
He  had  come  in  one  gusty  night  to  see  how  we  liked  our 
new  quarters,  and  to  keep  us  from  feeling  lonely,  and 
with  twitching  mouth,  he  said,  pointing  to  where  we  sat: 

"  There  is  where  my  two  brothers  were  killed,  and  my 
father  was  murdered  over  there,  and  then  they  threw  them 
all  into  that  fountain  outside." 


i82  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

The  wind  made  horrid  noises  about  the  house  that 
night,  and  for  many  a  day  I  fancied  I  could  see  the 
purple  stains  through  the  white  straw  matting.  But  we 
soon  became  familiar  with  such  horrors. 

Three  skeletons  of  murdered  Christians  were  fished 
out  of  the  well  from  which  we  had  our  first  water  in 
Damascus.  Our  colporteur  was  brought  in  to  us  with  his 
head  laid  open ;  and  a  little  boy  who  had  l)een  in  our 
school,  and  our  service,  was  murdered  by  Druzes,  and 
eaten  up  by  dogs.  Our  mission-field  lay  along  the  bor- 
der of  the  desert,  and  in  ten  years  we  had  come  to  look 
calmly  at  the  deeds  of  city  and  desert  Ishmaelites. 

It  was  not,  however,  without  a  sense  of  danger  that 
we  lay  down  for  the  night  in  full  view  of  a  band  of  well- 
armed,  hardy  spearmen,  who  had  vowed  to  murder  us, 
and  who  had  a  will  to  carry  out  their  vow.  Our  guard 
was  sufficiently  strong  and  well  armed  to  keep  the  enemy 
at  a  distance,  but  they  were  only  Turks,  and  the  Bedawin, 
on  their  nimble  mares,  might  dash  into  our  camp  during 
the  night,  and  overwhelm  us  in  the  confusion  and  darkness  ; 
and  it  was  not  pleasant  to  fancy  a  spear  penetrating 
one's  tent.  I  went  round  our  sentinels  several  times, 
and  they  continued  to  swear,  and  brag,  and  keep  guard, 
as  long  as  we  watched  them ;  but  no  sooner  had  we  lain 
down  to  sleep  than  they  stacked  their  arms,  rolled  them- 
selves up  in  their  greatcoats,  and  lay  down  to  sleep 
likewise. 

A  little  after  midnight  my  servant  awaked  me,  and  told 
me    that   our   soldiers   were  "  all  snoringf  at   the   stars.'' 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  183 

I  walked  through  among  them,  and  over  them,  and  found 
them  loudly  asleep.  I  thought  of  the  sleeping  hosts 
of  King  Saul  that  had  gone  out  to  seize  David,  and  I 
wondered  if  we  could  repeat  David's  trick  on  Saul.^ 

In  a  few  minutes  my  servant  had  the  soldiers'  rifles 
carried  to  beside  my  bed,  and  not  a  soldier  had  stirred. 
He  then  mounted  guard  himself,  but,  as  sleep  under  the 
circumstances  was  impossible,  we  roused  our  camp  before 
dawn  for  the  return  journey.  Then  woke  up  the  most 
indescribable  babel. 

The  soldiers  rushed  about  in  search  of  their  arms, 
frantic  with  rage,  shame,  fear.  The  cowardly  Bedawin 
had  stolen  their  rifles  while  they  slept,  and  would  now 
fall  upon  them  unarmed. 

The  officers  screamed  at  the  men,  and  the  men  roared 
at  the  officers,  and  the  choicest  epithets  in  Arabic,  Turk- 
ish, Kurdish,  and  Armenian  were  hurled  about  with  much 
waste  of  nervous  energy. 

When  the  noise  had  reached  the  climax,  I  called  over 
Brandy  Bob,  and  quietly  asked  him  what  was  all  the 
shouting  about. 

"  Oh,  sir, "  he  replied,  "  I  took  my  eyes  off  my  men  for 
an  instant,  and  they  have  lost  their  rifles." 

"  Nonsense  ! "  I  said.  "  You  bragged  how  you  would 
guard  us,  and  then  you  all  went  and  fell  asleep.  There 
are  your  weapons.  My  servant  brought  them  here  to 
prevent  the  Bedawin  from  getting  them,  and  then 
mounted  guard  for  you." 

^  1  Satn.  xxvi.  12. 


1 84  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

The  soldiers  took  their  guns  in  silence,  but,  with  the 
versatility  of  Falstaff,  they  all  soon  began  to  swear  that 
they  had  seen  me  taking  their  rifles,  and  only  wanted  to 
humour  me. 

We  struck  our  tents  in  silence  and  in  haste,  while  it 
was  yet  dark,  and  marched  to  'Ain  el-Wu'ul,  and  on  the 
following  day  continued  our  homeward  journey  as  far  as 
Karyetein. 

But  what  of  the  Bedawin  who  had  encamped  over 
against  us  ?  We  had  given  them  the  slip,  and  got  among 
the  hills  at  the  other  side  of  the  plain,  before  they  were 
aware  of  our  departure,  and  as  they  never  suspected  that 
we  had  discovered  the  'Ain  el-Wu'ul  water,  they  pursued 
us,  as  they  supposed,  down  the  beaten  track  of  ordinary 
tourists.  All  day  long  they  spurred  their  animals  in  pur- 
suit, and  strained  their  eyes  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  us  on 
the  horizon  before  them.  At  last  the  gazelle-traps  and 
gardens  of  Karyetein  rose  before  them,  and  they  felt  that 
their  prey  had  escaped. 

A  council  of  war  was  held,  at  which  it  was  the  unani- 
mous opinion  that  we  had  hidden  in  some  dip  of  the  desert, 
or  among  the  mountains,  as  it  was  clearly  impossible  that 
our  baggage  animals  could  have  reached  Karyetein  in  so 
short  a  time. 

It  was  then  resolved  ^  that  they  should  lie  across  our 
track  until  we  came  up. 

All  night  long  they  watched   in  vain,  but   at  eleven 

1  These  details  I  had  from  one  of  the  Bedawin,  who  called  on  me 
afterwards  in  Damascus,  and  gave  nie  all  particulars. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  185 

o'clock  the  next  morning,  as  they  were  about  to  give  us 
up,  a  caravan  suddenly  appeared  issuing  from  the  moun- 
tains on  the  north.  "  Allahu  Akbar !  "  (God  is  great) 
shouted  the  delighted  Bedawin,  and  tightening  the  girths 
on  their  hungry  horses,  and  the  girdles  on  their  own 
empty  stomachs,  they  rushed  with  a  desert  hurrah  on 
their  prey. 

The  caravan  was  conducted  by  the  hardy  villagers  of 
Jebel  Kalamoun,  who  were  bringing  provisions  for  their 
families  from  the  Euphrates,  and  they  had,  besides,  Per- 
sian carpets,  and  tobacco  and  other  valuable  merchandise 
for  Damascus.  They  had  just  passed  the  most  dangerous 
part  of  their  journe3^  and  had  relaxed  their  ordinary  vigi- 
lance, and  were  somewhat  scattered,  so  that  with  the  first 
onset,  the  Bedawin  cut  off  and  captured  a  number  of 
stragglers.  These  were  withdrawn  to  a  distance,  and 
secured.  The  remainder  of  the  caravan  was  then  drawn 
up  in  a  circle,  and  the  camels  were  tightly  bound  together 
in  a  living  rampart,  from  behind  which  the  villagers  fired 
on  their  assailants. 

"The  Arab  force,"  according  to  the  Levant  Herald^ 
"  consisted  of  about  twenty  horsemen,  accompanied  by 
forty  dromedaries,  each  carrying  two  armed  riders.  They 
were  the  Giath  Bedawin,  a  branch  of  the  Seba'a  tribe, 
accompanied  by  the  'Amour,  under  Sheikh  Dabbous." 
They  and  their  horses  took  a  hurried  meal  of  the  food 
they  had  captured  at  the  first  onset,  and  then,  flushed 
with  victory  and  with  the  prospect  of  large  booty,  they 
dashed  bodily  against  the  living  rampart.     A  desperate 


1 86  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

struggle  ensued.  The  circular  line  swayed  and  stag- 
gered ;  but  in  a  hand-to-hand  encounter  the  Bedawin  had 
no  chance  with  the  able-bodied  ^  villagers,  and  several  of 
them  were  dragged  from  their  horses  and  stricken  down 
with  clubs. 

The  Bedawin  then  became  more  wary,  and  galloped 
round  and  round  the  circle,  making  a  feint  here  and  an 
attack  there,  till  the  villagers  were  weary  of  rushing  round 
their  rampart,  and  their  ammunition  was  exhausted.  Thus 
they  continued  hour  after  hour,  till  near  sunset,  when  a 
wounded  camel  staggered  and  fell,  and  broke  the  line. 
The  circle  opened  out  and  became  a  crescent.  Quick  as 
lightning,  the  Bedawin  ruslied  in  at  the  breach,  the 
camels  started  off  in  all  directions,  and  the  active  horse- 
men, with  their  flashing  spears,  decided  the  victory  in  a 
few  minutes. 

The  Levant  Herald  summed  up  the  result  of  the 
raid  thus:  "The  Bedawin  took  possession  of,  and  car- 
ried off,  all  that  the  caravan  contained,  — 120  loads  of 
butter  (^semmen),  and  an  enormous  number  of  donkeys, 
mules,  camels,  horses,  arms,  valued  at  £4000.  In  addi- 
tion to  this  they  stripped  all  the  travellers,  and  left  them 
naked  in  the  blazing  desert.  They  even  stripped  the 
dead.  The  friends  of  the  murdered  men  remained  to 
watch  the  bodies,  till  animals  were  brought  to   convey 

1  The  Bedawin  are  much  smaller-bodied  men  than  the  Fallahln  of  the 
villages.  Colonel  Gawler,  the  late  keeper  of  the  crown  jewels,  informed 
me  that  the  suits  of  armour  preserved  in  the  Tower  were  found  to  be  too 
small  for  ordinary  men. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  187 

them  to  the  village.  They  succeeded  in  protecting  them- 
selves from  the  heat  by  day,  and  the  cold  by  night,  with 
rags  from  the  furniture  of  camels  that  were  shot  in  the 

"The  unfortunate  men- were  industrious  people,  inha- 
bitants of  Nebk,  Deir-Atiyeh,  Rahibeh,  and  one  of  them 
was  from  Damascus.  They  were  mostly  heads  of  hungry 
families,  and  paid  taxes  to  the  Sultan  for  his  protection. 
There  is  no  honest  reason  why  this  state  of  things  should 
be  permitted  to  exist.  A  few  years  before,  Subhi  Pasha 
kept  the  desert  in  almost  perfect  order.  The  Bedawi 
marauders  are  within  easy  reach  of  the  government. 

"When  the  case  was  laid  before  Halet  Pasha,  governor 
of  Damascus,  he  merely  said  that  Karyetein  was  outside 
the  bounds  of  Syria.  Those  who  were  present  corrected 
his  Excellency's  geography,  and  he  caused  a  sharp  tele- 
gram to  be  sent  to  his  subordinates,  and  with  that  the 
matter  rested." 

This  report,  published  at  the  time,  in  the  chief  news- 
paper at  Constantinople,  was,  I  know,  correct  in  every 
detail.  I  knew  several  of  the  murdered  men,  and  one  of 
them,  Shibley  Kassis,  of  Nebk,  was  brother-in-law  to  our 
chief  Protestant  in  that  district,  and  a  very  amiable  man. 

What  would  the  Bedawin  do  with  one  hundred  and 
twenty  loads  of  butter? 

They  brought  it,  or  rather,  had  it  brought,  into  Damas- 
cus, and  sold  publicly. 

What  would  they  do  with  the  splendid  carpets  and 
shawls  from  the  looms  of  Persia  and  Cashmere? 


1 88  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

They  distributed  them  among  their  powerful  friends 
in  Damascus,  in  return  for  their  efficient  protection,  and 
some  of  the  best  found  their  way  into  the  gorgeous  saloons 
of  those  whose  duty  it  was  to  administer  justice. 

One  of  our  Protestants  found  three  of  his  camels  in  the 
hands  of  the  robbers,  in  Damascus,  and,  though  he  got  an 
official  order  for  the  restoration  of  his  property,  he  was 
never  able  to  get  it  carried  out,  and  the  robbers  were  per- 
mitted to  keep  his  camels. 

We  rested  a  day  at  Karyetein,  and  had  the  pleasure  of 
finding  that  our  school  had  taken  root  among  Moslems 
and  Christians;  and  we  saw  Moslems  and  Christians  sit- 
ting side  by  side  in  that  land  of  violence  and  blood,  and 
spelling  out  together  the  story  of  Christ's  love  to  men. 
In  the  evening  we  heard  that  a  battle  was  being  fought 
near  by,  and  I  believe  the  report  of  the  guns  was  dis- 
tinctly heard ;  but  the  sheikh  said  the  Turks  were  there 
to  protect  the  district,  and  the  Turks  smoked  their  nar- 
gilles,  and  ejaculated  "  Allah  is  great,"  and  did  nothing. 


"^s^N" 


PALMYRA   TERRACOTTA   HEAD   IX    PROFILE,    WITH   SUX,    MOOX,    AXD   STARS. 

Translation — bel  protects  the  sons  of  barsa'a. 


[immmviffwym^ 


CORNICE   SOFFIT   OF   TOMB   TOWER. 


CHAPTER  XVIL 


"\^7E  finished  the  day  by  visiting  and  receiving  the 
^  '  visits  of  our  friends,  and  on  the  following  morn- 
ing continued  our  homeward  journey,  before  receiving 
the  details  of  the  battle.  We  passed  several  ruined 
khans,  resting-places  for  cai-avans  and  travellers  in  more 
propitious  times;  had  several  spurts  after  gazelles  with 
our  Persian  greyhound,  caught  a  fox  alive  and  a  curious 
land  i-at;  and  after  a  weary  ride,  encamped  at  'Atny, 
a  few  miles  west  of  a  salt  lake  that  glowed  and  sparkled 
in  the  evening  sun. 

Here,  too,  we  were  met  by  "  rumours  of  oppression  and 
deceit."  The  Ishmaelites  had  been  to  the  village  three 
hours  before  us,  and  had  carried  off  several  flocks  of 
sheep,  and  all  the  donkeys  and  camels  and  portable 
things  they  could  find. 

Anj^  one  who  makes  a  tour  through  Northern  Syria 
will  be  able  to  appreciate  for  the  remainder  of  his  life 
the  advantages  of  a  civilized  government.     He  will  there 


T90  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

see  as  fine  a  peasantry  as  is  to  be  found  anywhere, — 
handsome,  and  courteous,  but  picturesque  in  rags ;  thrifty 
and  frugal,  but  penniless;  comparatively  truthful  and 
enterprising,  but  without  credit  or  resources.  They  have 
broad  acres  which  only  require  to  be  scratched  and 
they  bring  forth  sixty -fold ;  but  they  only  cultivate  little 
patches,  surrounded  by  mud  walls,  and  within  the  range 
of  their  matchlocks. 

During  the  greater  part  of  the  year  they  dare  not  walk 
over  their  own  uncultivated  fields,  for  fear  of  being 
stripped  of  their  tattered  garments.^ 

And  yet  these  poor  people  are  the  most  heavily  taxed 
peasantry  in  the  world.  They  pay  "blackmail,"  called 
khowieh  (brotherhood),  to  the  Bedawin,  who  plunder 
them  notwithstanding.  And  they  pay  taxes  to  the  Turks, 
who  give  them  no  protection  in  return.  The  Bedawin 's 
claim  is  from  time  immemorial,  and  they  enforce  their 
claim  b}^  cutting  off  the  ears  of  peasants  from  the  default- 
ing villages,  and  by  carrying  off  a  number  of  the  village 
children  into  the  desert.  The  latter  plan  always  brings 
the  villages  to  terms.  The  Turks  enforce  their  claims 
by  imprisoning  the  village  sheikhs  in  foul,  pestiferous 
sties,  without  food,  till  they  have  paid  "  the  uttermost 
farthing." 

^  The  Levant  Herald  of  12th  August  1874,  referring  to  this  subject, 
pointed  out  that  "  three  villages,  not  the  most  important,  had  lost 
daring  the  year  7680  sheep  and  goats,  55  camels,  32  donkeys,  and 
an  enormous  amount  of  other  property,  besides  shepherds  and  drivers 
killed  and  wounded.  The  other  villages  had  suffered  equal  losses,  and 
the  people  were  in  9,  state  of  despair" 


B  E  I)  A  W  I 


-^C-^vj;^- 


<r^  i/ZJ^^ 


t>  B  B  E  R  S. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  191 

These  spoilers  follow  on  each  other's  heels,  and  that 
which  the  Turkish  caterpillar  leaves  the  Bedawi  locust 
devours.  With  anything  like  protection  or  fair  govern- 
ment, the  peasantry  of  Northern  Syria  would  be  among  the 
happiest  in  the  world;  but  for  the  ten  years  that  I  knew 
them,  they  saw  the  fruit  of  their  labour  swept  away  by 
organized  robbere,  and  they  lived  in  a  state  of  starvation 
and  despair.  All  who  can  get  away  leave  for  Egypt 
and  for  the  large  cities,  and  the  region  is  becoming  depop- 
ulated year  by  year.  Hundreds  succeed  in  breaking  the 
Turkish  cordon,  and  in  effecting  their  escape  to  America. 

It  was  pleasant  to  see  how  lightly  sorrow  sat  on  the 
simple  people  of  'Atny.  When  we  arrived  they  were 
plucking  at  their  beards,  and  rending  their  garments,  and 
calling  for  vengeance  from  heaven  on  their  spoilers  and 
on  the  Turks.  Toward  sunset,  however,  the  ceremony 
of  marrying  the  Sheikh's  daughter,  a  mature  maiden  of 
twelve,  was  commenced,  and  the  people  danced,  and  sang, 
and  shouted,  and  clapped  their  hands,  and  the  women  sent 
up  shrill  notes  of  joy,  and  the  old  Sheikh  scattered  sweet- 
meats among  the  revellers,  and  all  seemed  merry  and  light- 
hearted,  as  if  they  had  sat  all  their  lives  under  their  own 
vines  and  fig-trees,  with  none  to  molest  or  make  them 
afraid. 

The  bawling  and  screaming  came  to  an  end  about  mid- 
night, but  soon  broke  out  again.  Somebody's  house  had 
been  plundered,  and  the  people  were  all  proclaiming  it 
from  the  house-tops.  The  women's  voices  were  still  in 
tune,  and  they  howled  as  if  they  had  been  robbed  of  their 


192  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

most  precious  treasures.  I  had  been  giving  battle  to  a 
number  of  persevering  mosquitoes,  up  till  the  time  that 
this  new  disturbance  arose.  Finding,  however,  that  sleep 
was  impossible,  and  that  my  presence  was  no  longer  re- 
quired by  my  companions,  I  started  alone,  in  the  dark,  for 
Damascus. 

I  passed  through  Jeriid,  Muaddamiyeh,  and  El-Kutifeh 
while  the  people  were  still  sleeping.  The  dogs  lay  thick 
in  the  streets,  and  my  horse  had  difficulty  in  threading  his 
wa}^  among  them.  They  were  too  lazy  and  sleepy  even  to 
bark  at  me. 

The  night  was  long,  but  at  last  the  tops  of  the  moun- 
tains were  touched  with  gold,  and  as  the  plain  of  Damas- 
cus burst  upon  me  through  the  Eth-thuniyeh  Pass,  the 
rising  sun  was  pouring  its  first  rays  into  a  surging  sea  of 
verdure  and  beauty,  and  lighting  up  the  minarets  of  ham- 
let and  city  with  tongues  of  fire. 

No  wonder  Orientals  rave  over  the  beauties  of  Damascus. 
At  all  seasons  of  the  year,  and  from  every  point  of  view, 
Damascus  is  beautiful ;  but  its  beauty  is  enhanced  tenfold 
by  the  fact  that  you  can  only  approach  it  through  a  howl- 
ing wilderness.  Your  eye  has  been  resting  on  the  heavens 
as  brass  and  the  earth  as  iron.  Every  green  thing  is  a 
prickly  shrub.  Desolation  and  dreariness  and  sterility 
reign  on  every  side.  Suddenly  you  turn  a  corner,  and 
your  eye  rests  on  Paradise. 

A  gallop  down  the  hill,  and  I  was  among  luxurious  har- 
vests. Then  I  passed  through  miles  of  orchards  golden 
with  ripe  apricots,  the  paths  overspread  by  fragrant  wal- 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


^91 


nuts.  Crystal  waters  tumbled  iu  cascades  over  the  walls, 
and  ran  babbling  by  the  side  of  the  road.  At  last  I 
reached  Bab  Es-Shurki,  the  eastern  gate  of  Damascus,  in 
which  the  Roman  arch  is  still  visible  ;  and  as  I  passed 
through  where  Khaled  and  his  fiery  Saracens  first  entered 
the  city,  my  heart  sank  as  I  saw  a  Turkish  soldier  levying 
"blackmail"  on  a  miserable  Jewish  pedlar.  A  minute 
more,  and  I  was  at  home  even  in  Damascus. 


1"  f  pt  II    n  hf 


CEILING   Ok    HOLY   OF   HOLItS,    ThMPLL   OF  THE   SUX. 


13 


Translation — .tamlikou,  son  of 

MOKEIMOU    AKLEISH. 
This  is  the  man  who,  in  the  year  83  a.d., 
built  the  most   beautiful    tomb    tower   in 
Palmyra. 


Translation — sokayi,    son 

OF    WAHBALLATH. 

Sokayi  was  one  of  four  sons  who  in 
112  A.n.  built  a  tomb  tower. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 


TOURING  my  fii-st  visit  to  Palmyra,  in  1872,  I  spent 
-*-^  four  days  from  dawn  to  dusk  in  incessant  ex- 
ploration. One  of  my  companions,  a  wealthy  banker, 
began  with  great  zeal  to  collect  curios.  By  the  end  of 
the  first  day  his  money  had  set  the  whole  population 
in  motion,  to  sift  the  sands,  and  rifle  the  tombs.  He 
returned  to  the  tent  at  night  laden  with  a  miscellaneous 
assortment  of  old  Tadmor  odds  and  ends. 

He  had  handfuls  of  the  beautiful  little  coins  that  are 
found  in  the  sand,  boxes  of  terra-cotta  tablets  with  Pal- 
myra inscriptions  and  figures,  Roman  lamps,  inscribed 
gems,  and  a  heap  of  skulls  and  limbs  of  mummies.  The 
lower  extremities  of  one  of  the  mummies  he  inserted  into 
a  pair  of  his  own  under-drawers,  the  better  to  preserve 
them. 

There  is  perhaps  no  pursuit  that  so  quickly  grows  to  a 
passion  as  the  search  for  antiquities.  The  searcher  is 
always  finding  something  unique,  and  in  Palmyra  every 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


195 


glass  bead  is  associated  with  the  Sitt  Zenobia.  My  friend 
had  secured  several  objects  of  great  interest,  among  which 
were  real  coins  of  Wahballath,  one  of  Zenobia's  sons. 

The  collector's  passion  soon  culminates  in  fever.  I 
had  gone  over  the  lieaps  of  coins,  gems,  lamps,  and 
tesserue  with  ni}-^  friend  before  going  to  bed,  pointing 
out  the  archaeological  value  of  some  of  his  discoveries. 
He  spent  a  sleepless  and  restless  night,  tossing  to  and 
fro,  and  longing  for  the  dawn.  He  woke  me  up  in  the 
night  to  tell  him  the  name  of  Zenobia's  son  whose  name 
was  on  the  coins. 

As  soon  as  the  day  began  to  break  he  slipped  from 
the  tent,  and  gathering  around  him  the  entire  population 
of  Tadmor  resumed  his  researches  among  the  ruins. 

I  had  ridden  out  early  to  the  quarries  from  which 
the  great  stones  and  columns  of  Palmyra  had  been  taken. 
We  again  met  at  nine  o'clock,  at  breakfast,  and  I  found 
his  cup  of  satisfaction  was  full  to  overflowing.  It  is  not 
easy  to  carry  the  full  cup  with  dignity.  He  had  no  eyes 
for  my  bag  of  partridges,  or  ears  for  my  story  of  the 
wondrous  quarries. 

When  breakfast  was  over,  he  drew  from  his  pocket 
a  red  silk  handkerchief,  and,  calling  us  around,  began 
very  mysteriously  and  deliberately  to  unfold  it  I 

"  There,"  said  he,  disclosing  a  little  ivory  figure,  "  look 
at  that.  It  is  pure  Grecian,  of  the  best  period.  See  the 
expression,  the  feeling,  the  spirituality  of  that  idol.  I 
have  little  doubt  that  it  once  belonged  to  Zenobia,  and 
one  cannot  wonder  that  the  lovely  woman  worshipped 
so  lovely  an  object." 


196  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

Our  ladies  thronged  round  the  fortunate  finder,  to 
examine  the  beautiful  idol.  I  was  waiting  for  my  turn 
to  get  a  sight  of  the  wonderful  work  of  art,  when  my 
niece  exclaimed: 

"  Why,  you  goose,  it's  the  head  of  your  own  umbrella." 

He  turned  on  her  with  a  look  of  scorn,  and  I  thought 
he  would  have  struck  her  to  the  ground.  Then  a  most 
unsympathetic  laugh  burst  from  the  whole  party.  He 
became  ashy  pale,  as  if  he  were  about  to  faint.  Before 
the  laughter  ceased,  he  had  scattered  all  his  collection 
on  the  sand,  kicking  the  things  about.  Then  he  rushed 
out  of  the  tent  without  speaking  a  word,  and  disappeared 
among  tlie  ruins. 

The  demand  for  antiquities  had  stimulated  the  supply. 
The  Palmyrans,  aided,  I  believe,  by  my  friend's  dragoman, 
had  stolen  the  handle  of  his  umbrella,  and  sold  it  to  him 
for  ten  times  its  weight  in  gold.  That  transaction  com- 
pletely cured  him  of  the  archaeological  fever.  He  bought 
no  more  antiques^  and  declined  to  look  at  those  pur- 
chased by  us,  or  offered  for  sale  by  the  natives,  and  he 
took  no  further  interest  in  our  explorations.  His  one 
and  only  desire  seemed  to  be  to  get  away  from  Palmyra. 

For  three  days  he  urged  me  incessantly  to  leave  the 
"God-forsaken  place."  Morning,  noon,  and  night,  at 
all  our  meals,  and  whenever  we  met  in  the  ruins,  he 
urged  his  one  plea,  that  we  should  retrace  our  steps  to 
Damascus.  I  reminded  him  that  all  our  plans  were  laid 
to  spend  a  week  at  Palmyra,  that  our  contracts  were 
made  on  that  basis,  that  we  were  never  likely  to  visit 


PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  '       197 

the  place  again,  and  that  it  would  be  a  calamity  to  leave 
the  place  half  explored. 

As  the  week  advanced,  his  complainings  became  harder 
to  bear.  They  began  to  take  the  form  of  taunts  and  chal- 
lenges. "  If  I  had  any  one  who  could  ride  to  accompany 
me,"  he  would  say,  "I  would  return  straight  to  Damascus, 
without  spending  four  days  dawdling  by  the  way."  He 
did  not  wish  to  ride  back  with  a  parcel  of  girls ;  though, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  girls  were  the  liveliest  riders  of 
the  party. 

On  Thursday  night  I  told  him  I  would  ride  back  to 
Damascus  with  him  as  quickly  as  he  pleased.  I  had  had 
a  very  hard  day  climbing  the  ladders  to  inscriptions  and 
investigating  subterranean  chambers.  We  threw  our- 
selves down  for  a  brief  sleep,  and  started  a  little  before 
midnight. 

I  hoped  to  accompany  our  party  well  clear  of  Palmyra, 
and  to  leave  them  to  follow  the  beaten  track  with  their 
escort,  while  I  pushed  forward  with  my  friend. 

Noiselessly  we  stole  out  of  the  ruins,  which  are  more 
impressive  at  night  than  by  day.  We  swept  silently 
down  the  plain,  lighted  on  our  way  by  the  stars.  The 
air  was  fresh  and  balmy,  and  quite  exhilarating  after  the 
broiling  heat  of  the  day. 

I  was  riding  well  ahead,  when  I  saw  our  way  blocked 
by  an  encampment  about  a  mile  in  front  of  us.  I  stopped 
and  called  up  our  guard,  and  tried  to  get  them  well  to- 
gether so  as  to  be  ready  for  all  emergencies. 

As  soon  as  my  Bashi-bazooks  saw  the  encampment,  they 


198  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

dashed  forward  with  a  wild  yell,  and  charged  down  the 
plain.  I  was  better  mounted  than  they,  and  I  got  before 
them,  and  with  my  whip  tried  to  restrain  their  impetu- 
osity ;  but  a  wild  spirit  had  taken  possession  of  the  whole 
party. 

My  cook  rode  past  me  on  a  baggage  mule,  brandishing 
an  old  pistol  that  would  have  endangered  somebody's  life 
if  it  had  gone  off;  but  so  great  was  the  general  madness 
that  seized  our  party,  that  a  young  and  cool-headed  friend, 
a  distinguished  metaphysician  and  gold  medallist,  who 
had  been  riding  behind  with  the  ladies,  left  his  charge, 
and  galloped  furiously  past  me,  holding  his  revolver  in 
front  of  him,  at  arm's  length,  and  shouting  the  one  good 
Arabic  phrase  which  he  had  at  command,  "  Clear  the 
way." 

Our  gallant  charge  was  akin  to  panic,  and  would,  I 
knew,  in  case  of  a  real  enemy,  be  equally  disastrous. 

It  was  for  me  one  of  the  most  anxious  moments  of  my 
life.  If  we  were  in  for  a  battle,  I  knew  that  my  breech- 
loader and  revolver,  as  they  were  both  of  the  best,  would 
be  of  service ;  but  our  ladies  were  behind  in  the  darkness. 
I  therefore  rode  to  the  rear,  when  I  was  needed  in  front, 
and  my  arrival  was  most  opportune. 

The  ladies,  one  of  whom  w-as  sister  to  the  metaphysican 
with  the  revolver,  had  also  charged  when  they  heard  of 
an  enemy  on  the  path ;  but  one  of  the  saddles  had  turned 
round  in  the  confusion,  and  the  rider's  foot  having  caught 
in  the  stirrup,  she  was  being  dragged  along  the  ground. 
In  less  than  a  minute  she  was  again  in  the  saddle,  and  we 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  199 

were  all  galloping  towards  the  enemy.  We  heard  a  few 
sputtering  shots  and  cries,  and  prepared  for  the  worst; 
but  when  we  arrived,  we  found  the  camp  was  only  a  cara- 
van of  Damascus  merchants,  and  that  the  cries  and  shots 
were  only  let  off  for  joy  on  the  meeting  of  old  friends. 

My  reception,  as  I  brought  up  the  rear,  was  far  from 
flattering.  I  heard  one  of  our  escort  saying,  "  The 
Khowajah  was  the  best  mounted  and  best  armed  of  the 
whole  party,  but  when  the  supreme  moment  came,  he 
rode  to  the  rear,  and  took  his  place  among  the  women." 

The  Arab  is  a  game-cock,  and  a  fight  is  as  popular  in 
the  desert  as  anywhere  else ;  but  I  have  an  impression 
that  when  my  escort  gallantly  bore  down  on  the  cara- 
van of  peaceful  merchants,  they  knew  that  they  were 
likely  to  be  rewarded  with  brandy  and  tobacco. 

Leaving  our  party  on  the  march,  my  friend  and  I  set 
out  for  our  long  ride  to  Damascus.  The  night  had 
become  piercingly  cold,  and  we  seemed  to  be  always 
riding  against  a  ridge  about  ten  yards  ahead ;  but  we 
pressed  forward  for  a  couple  of  hours,  without  drawing 
rein.  We  were  both  well  mounted.  My  companion 
rode  a  large-boned,  serviceable  chestnut  of  the  Kadisheh, 
or  plebeian,  order.  I  rode  a  blood-mare  (^AsileK)  of  the 
Siklaweh-Jidran  breed.  She  was  a  beautiful  bay,  with 
deep  chest,  large  soft  eyes,  cup-like  feet  and  long  pas- 
terns, and  springy  step,  and  an  unwritten  pedigree 
stretching  in  point  of  time  as  far  back  as  the  bluest 
blood  in  England. 

I  was  once  able  to  render  an  important  service  to  a 


200  PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 

family  of  Arabs,  who  were  being  ruined  by  Russian 
Jews  under  English  protection,  at  Damascus.  I  fell  in 
love  with  one  of  their  mares.  They  saw  me  fondling 
her,  and  giving  her  bits  of  sugar  and  biscuit,  and,  believ- 
ing that  I  would  be  kind  to  her,  they  sold  her  to  me,  in 
defiance  of  their  custom.  She  brought  me  safely  out  of 
many  a  scrape  in  the  desert,  and  we  became  fast  friends. 
She  would  stand  stone  still,  if  she  saw  me  putting  up  my 
gun  to  fire,  so  that  from  the  saddle  I  could  shoot  birds 
on  the  wing ;  and  when  I  wanted  to  mount  her  she  would 
come  at  my  call,  and  stand  rubbing  her  head  against 
me,  till  I  got  into  the  saddle.  She  was  larger  than  the 
ordinary  desert  blood-mare,  and  carried  easily  a  weight 
of  thirteen  and  a  half  stones. 

When  we  had  got  opposite  the  'Ain  el-Wu'ul  fountain, 
we  found  our  way  blocked  by  an  Arab  encampment. 
The  twinkling  lights  seemed  to  fill  the  wl^le  plain. 
All  appeared  to  be  fast  asleep,  but  we  knew  that  if  one 
of  the  Bedawin  saw  us,  we  should  soon  have  the  whole 
hornets'   nest  after  us. 

As  the  wind  was  coming  from  the  fountain-side,  we 
resolved  to  try  to  get  round  the  other  side  of  the  encamp- 
ment. We  alighted,  and,  slinging  the  nose-bags  on  our 
horses,  carefully  led  them  as  we  moved  round  the  Arab 
flank  in  the  darkness. 

It  was  an  anxious  time ;  for,  had  our  horees  whinnied, 
or  a  desert  dog  discovered  us,  we  should  certainly  at 
least  have  been  deprived  of  our  horses. 

By  making  a  circuit  of  a  mile  or  more,  we  got  past 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA.  201 

the  northern  flank  of  the  sleeping  host.  A  strong  Avind 
was  blowing  from  the  camp,  laden  with  the  odour  of 
camels  and  camp-fires.  Our  mares,  we  knew,  would 
not  neigh  like  horses,  and  betray  us ;  but  lest  they  might 
be  tempted  to  act  contrary  to  their  natures,  we  let  them 
feed  from  their  nose-bags  as  they  walked  silently  and 
docilely  by  our  sides. 

As  soon  as  we  thought  we  had  got  past  the  Arabs,  we 
worked  our  way  back  to  the  direct  path,  and  started  for 
Karyetein  at  a  pace  of  twelve  miles  an  hour.  The  track 
was  hard,  and  the  noise  of  our  cantering  horses  roused  the 
camp,  which  was  nearer  to  us  than  we  had  supposed, 
judging  from  the  glimmer  of  the  camp-fires,  which  seemed 
in  the  darkness  farther  aAvay  than  they  really  were.  An 
alarm  shot  was  fired,  and  then  there  arose  a  babel  of 
sounds,  in  which  the  braying  of  asses,  and  barking  of 
dogs,  and  shouting  of  men  were  mingled. 

We  kept  steadily  on  our  way,  but  we  did  not  seem  to 
be  getting  much  further  from  the  noises.  When  we  had 
ridden  for  about  an  hour,  we  suddenly  became  aware  that 
we  were  being  pursued.  The  night  had  become  very  dark, 
and  we  could  see  nothing  but  the  camp-fires  in  the  dis- 
tance, but  we  could  distinctly  hear  the  clatter  of  horses' 
feet,  and  oven  the  hard  breathing  of  horses  which  were 
being  driven  furiously. 

Three  courses  were  open  to  us.  Either  to  stand  and 
fight,  or  to  race  for  our  lives,  or  to  give  our  pursuers  the 
slip.  There  was  little  time  for  coming  to  an  agreement, 
but  my  companion  said,  as  we  galloped  side  by  side,  "  Take 


202  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

any  coui-se  you  wish.  I  am  responsible  for  our  difficulties, 
and  I  will  do  whatever  you  do." 

To  have  fought  would  have  been  simple  madness,  for, 
from  the  noise  our  pursuers  made,  there  seemed  to  be 
hundreds  of  them.  It  was  doubtful  if  we  could  have 
escaped  by  hard  riding,  for  our  steeds  were  jaded,  while 
theirs  were  fresh.  I  might  have  escaped  on  my  Asileh, 
at  the  best,  but  my  companion's  Kadisheh  would  certainly 
have  been  overtaken.  The  darkness  favoured  the  third 
plan. 

We  were  then  passing  over  rough  ground,  and  hav- 
ing reached  a  seil,  or  the  dry  bed  of  a  river,  we  turned 
up  it  at  right  angles  to  the  path.  In  a  few  seconds  we 
were  quite  out  of  sight,  among  the  hills.  We  again  hung 
the  nose-bags  on  our  horses'  heads,  and  set  them  to  feed, 
and  I  left  both  with  my  friend,  and  crawled  back  to  a 
little  hill  by  the  side  of  the  path. 

I  had  scarcely  got  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  peeped 
over,  lying  flat  on  the  ground,  when  the  troop  swept  past. 
There  seemed  to  be  about  a  dozen  horses,  and  as  many 
dromedaries,  and  as  each  dromedary  carried  two  men, 
there  may  have  been  thirty  or  forty  all  told.  There  may 
not  have  been  a  score,  for,  with  the  greatest  desire  to  be 
accurate,  the  conditions  were  such  as  to  lead  to  exag- 
geration. 

We  now  knew  that  we  had  no  reasonable  cause  for 
fear.  We  both  had  breech-loaders  and  revolvers  of  the 
newest  patterns,  and  we  should  have  been  able,  if  the 
worst  came,  to  fire  forty  shots  between  us  in  a  minute. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  203 

Our  double-barrelled  guns  were  charged  with  shot  car- 
tridges, and,  barring  accidents,  we  felt  that  we  could  run 
away  from  spears,  and  clubs,  and  empty  saddles  at  our 
leisure.  My  companion,  an  old  Wimbledon  crack  shot, 
was  anxious  to  begin  at  once ;  but  I  was  determined  to 
avoid  bloodshed  if  possible,  and  he  took  his  orders  from  me. 

We  immediately  mounted,  and  followed  the  Bedawin, 
who  thought  they  were  following  us.  There  was  less 
than  half  a  mile  between  us.  We  could  hear  them  dis- 
tinctly ;  but  if  they  heard  us,  they  must  have  thought  we 
were  some  of  their  own  party.  When  we  had  followed 
them  for  an  hour  or  so,  and  they  seemed  to  be  getting 
further  and  further  ahead  of  us,  it  became  necessary  to 
shake  them  off  in  some  way  or  other,  as  we  knew  that  the 
dawn  would  very  soon  reveal  us. 

My  companion  carried  a  little  flask  of  brandy  suspended 
by  straps,  as  an  ornament.  I  induced  him  to  give  it  to 
me.  We  then  rode  into  the  desert  to  the  left,  and  I 
took  the  muslin  which  was  fixed  on  my  helmet  as  a 
protection  against  the  sun,  saturated  it  with  the  brandy, 
and  set  fire  to  it  on  a  heap  of  brushwood. 

The  flame  rose  suddenly,  and  the  brushwood  caught 
fire,  and  continued  the  blaze.  I  fired  two  or  three  shots, 
sending  the  bullets  whistling  after  our  pursuers.  At 
the  same  time  we  walked  our  horses  between  them  and 
the  fire,  and  danced  round  it,  so  that  we  might  seem 
more  numerous  than  we  were.  Then  we  galloped  back 
in  the  darkness  to  the  road,  and  crossed  out  into  the 
desert  on  the  other  side. 


204 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


The  ruse  succeeded  splendidly.  The  fire  burnt  itself 
out  quickly,  but  the  Bedawin  hurried  back  to  the  spot 
where  they  had  seen  it.  We  heard  them  leaving  the 
road,  and  passing  back,  with  much  noise,  through  the 
brushwood.  Knowing  that  our  path  was  free,  we 
returned  to  it,  and  sped  as  fast  as  we  could  on  our 
way  to  Karyetein. 

We  were  both  profoundly  thankful  that  we  had 
escaped  a  real  danger,  and  that  we  had  not  been  obliged 
to  shed  the  blood  of  even  desert  cut-throats. 

It  was  a  strange  but  intensely  enjoyable  adventure. 
I  do  not  think  we  were  afraid,  but  there  were  times, 
especially  when  I  was  lying  on  the  hill  as  our  pursuers 
rode  past,  when  I  could  distinctly  hear  the  beating  of 
my  heart  so  loud  that  I  feared  others  might  hear  the 
throbs. 

Our  horses  seemed  to  understand  the  position,  and 
played  their  part  well. 


T£SSEIL£    FROM    PALMYRA. 


CEILING    OF    TUMB    TOWER. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 


TT  7"E   continued   our   journey   unmolested,  at  a  slow 
^  ^      gallop,  and  did  not  pause  till  it  was  broad  day. 
Then  we   dismounted,  and  walked   by  our  mares  for  a 
mile  or  so. 

The  Bedawi  encampment  was  at  least  twenty  miles 
to  the  rear.  The  Arabs  were  in  motion,  swarming  up 
the  high  ground  towards  the  fountain  of  the  Ibexes  ('Ain 
el-Wu'ul).  We  saw  them  rolling  up  the  hill  like  a 
cloud-shadow,  and  disappearing  into  the  mountain  gorge, 
and  we  knew  that  the  way  would  be  safe  for  our  friends 
and  their  escort,  coming  behind. 

That  was  a  very  charming  desert  morning.  First  the 
eastern  horizon  became  saffron,  then  it  passed  through 
all  shades  of  orange,  and  the  mountain  tops  glowed  with 
a  roseate  hue,  and  the  light  poured  in  great  streams  into 
the  plain,  and  objects  were  seen  detaching  themselves 
from  the  darkness,  till  every  mountain  base,  and  every 
deep    ravine,   and    every   dark   crevasse   was   filled  with 


2o6  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

living  liglit,  and  colours,  from  lightest  pink  to  deepest 
indigo,  tinged  and  tinted  the  mountains,  that  stood  like 
high  walls  on  either  side  of  the  plain  down  which  we 
sped  as  if  fleeing  for  our  lives  before  the  avenger. 

Shortly  after  the  day  was  established,  four  horsemen 
coming  from  the  hills  appeared,  bearing  down  on  us  on 
our  right.  They  had  long  spears,  and  clubs  hung  to 
their  saddles,  and  little  arsenals  of  flint  pistols  and 
daggers  in  their  belts.  They  were  really  small  fry  in 
our  eyes  after  what  we  had  passed  through,  and  we 
looked  carefully  to  see  if  there  was  a  larger  force  be- 
hind them.  We  continued  to  gallop,  and  they  doubtless 
thought  we  were  afraid  of  them,  and  trying  to  escape, 
and  they  made  a  tremendous  effort  to  cut  our  path,  and 
intercept  us. 

It  was  a  pretty  sight  to  see  the  four  sons  of  the  desert 
bearing  down  upon  us.  At  first  their  pace  was  the 
ordinary  ambling  or  desert  jog-trot,  for  which  I  know 
no  English  name.  We  have  nothing  that  corresponds  to 
it.  It  seems  slow  and  sly,  but  it  gets  over  the  ground 
fast.  Greater  speed,  however,  was  necessary-  to  catch  us 
though  we  did  not  press  our  weary  horses.  When  we 
first  saw  them  they  were  ten  or  twelve  miles  distant; 
but  they  struck  straight  for  our  path,  and  as  they  came 
nearer  to  it,  they  galloped  as  fast  as  they  could  to 
get  before  us.  The  horses  were  at  full  stretch,  and 
the  riders,  with  .their  short  stirrups  and  high  saddles, 
seemed  to  sit  on  the  tops  of  their  horses  as  if  on  seats, 
ready  to  spring. 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA.  207 

They  readied  the  road  about  four  hundred  yards  in 
front  of  us,  reined  up  their  hoi-ses,  and  planted  themselves 
right  in  our  way.  We  brought  our  horses  to  a  walking 
pace,  and  prepared  for  the  worst.  They  shook  their 
spears,  and  leaned  forward  on  their  saddles,  as  if  about 
to  charge  ;  but  they.saw  our  shining  weapons,  and  paused. 

We  approached  till   we  were    within   eighty  yards   of" 
the  enemy,  and  halted.     I  said, — 

"  Who  are  you,  and  what  do  you  want  ?  " 

One  of  them  replied  with  a  sharp  bark.  "  You  are 
trespassers  on  our  land,  and  by  Allah  we  will  make 
you  repent,  you  sons  of  dogs." 

I  said,  repeating  one  of  their  own  proverbs,  "Violent 
language  never  yet  tore  a  shirt.  I  can  shoot  the  four 
of  you  through  the  heads  in  four  seconds,  and  if  you 
move  one  step  towards  us,  I  will  shoot  your  four  horses 
to  begin  with." 

They  did  not  like  the  prospect,  and  after  exchanging 
words  among  themselves,  one  of  them  said :  "  No  man 
has  ever  presumed  to  pass  through  our  territory  without 
leave ;  but  if  you  surrender  the  horse  you  are  riding,  we 
will  let  you  pass." 

I  replied :  "  Let  there  be  no  fooling.  Since  the  day  that 
Abraham  your  father,  of  blessed  memory,  passed  down 
this  same  road,  till  this  day,  the  way  has  been  open.  We 
are  here  to  injure  no  man,  not  even  the  road ;  but  if  you 
attempt  to  stop  us,  your  blood  be  upon  your  own  heads." 

My  companion  said,  "Let  me  empty  two  of  their  sad- 
dle§." 


2o8  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

He  had  once  tied  with  Sir  Henry  Halford  for  the 
Queen's  cup. 

I  said,  "  No ;  if  they  attack  us,  we  will  shoot  their 
horses  first." 

One  of  them  said,  "  We  belong  to  the  great  Anazi  tribe, 
which  makes  pashas  tremble,  and  we  cannot  let  you 
pass." 

I  replied :  "  Your  sheikh  and  I  are  friends,  and  I  know 
his  brother  who  spends  much  time  in  Damascus.  I 
have  just  established  a  school  at  Karyetein,  and  I  am 
only  anxious  to  befriend  the  Bedawin ;  but  either  you 
must  give  way,  or  we  must  give  way.  My  friend  wants 
to  shoot  two  of  you  to  begin  with.  We  are  the  stronger, 
but  I  am  loath  to  harm  you.  I  now  give  you  five  minutes 
to  make  up  your  minds,  and  if  you  do  not  move  off  in 
that  time,  may  Allah  be  merciful  to  you." 

I  said  to  my  friend :  "  Be  ready,  but  keep  cool ;  they 
may  make  a  dash  at  us.  You  had  better  alight,  as  your 
horse  is  restive." 

He  slipped  from  the  saddle,  and  stood  with  his  fowling- 
piece  ready.  I  sat  in  the  saddle,  with  my  watch  in  my 
hand.  "  Four  minutes  are  now  gone,"  I  said,  "  and  the 
fifth  is  half  sped."  A  few  seconds  later,  I  put  my  watch 
into  my  pocket,  and  as  I  lifted  my  gun  to  my  shoulder 
they  turned  and  fled  before  us,  hurling  a  volley  of  im- 
precations at  us  as  they  went. 

They  galloped  along  the  path  before  us,  and  we  gal- 
loped after  as  if  in  pureuit.  There  were  about  four 
hundred   yards  between  us.     Several  times  they  turned, 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  209 

and  waited  as  if  to  stop  us ;  bat  we  galloped  straight  at 
them,  putting  up  our  guns  to  our  shoulders,  and  when 
we  neared  them  they  broke  and  hurried  away.  Wo 
thought  they  might  be  playing  at  delay,  till  a  larger 
force  should  arrive,  but  we  could  hardly  take  our  eyes 
off  them,  to  look  back  to  see  if  others  were  coming. 

My  companion  at  last  lost  patience.  "  This  thing,"  he 
said,  "  must  come  to  an  end,  one  way  or  another." 

I  called  on  them  to  halt,  and  then  I  told  them  that  my 
friend  had  not  so  much  consideration  for  them  as  I 
had,  and  that  they  must  leave  us  altogether,  or  I  could 
not  restrain  him  from  shooting  them. 

They  then  galloped  off  in  a  wide  circle,  riding  round 
us  at  a  respectful  distance,  for  some  time,  and  finally  took 
up  their  position  at  a  little  hill  on  the  left  near  our 
path.  As  we  came  near,  they  rode  round  the  hill,  out  of 
sight ;  but  one  of  them  appeared  suddenly  from  behind 
the  hill,  and  discharging  his  blunderbuss  at  me,  fled  at 
full  gallop  with  his  companions,  and  disappeared  among 
the  hills. 

We  hurried  as  quickly  as  our  horses  could  take  us  to  the 
spot  from  which  the  shot  had  come ;  but  the  four  horse- 
men were  already  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away,  and  going  at 
a  tremendous  pace.  My  companion  dismounted  and  sent 
half  a  dozen  bullets  after  them,  but  the  distance  was  too 
great  for  effective  shooting.  He  was  very  vexed  that  we 
had  let  them  off,  especially  when  he  knew  that  I  had  been 
hit. 

I  had  had  a  marvellous  escape.  A  perfect  storm  of 
14 


2  TO  PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

slugs  and  pellets  seemed  to  have  swept  me  and  my  mare. 
The  gun  fired  was  a  short,  wide-mouth  blunderbuss,  such 
as  several  of  our  four  escort  carried.  Such  guns  are  charged 
with  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  powder  and  a  pound  and  a 
half  of  pellets,  slugs,  nails,  bits  of  iron,  and  split  bullets. 
It  is  a  most  deadly  weapon  in  a  crowd. 

The  report  of  the  shot  was  very  loud,  and  the  discharge 
tore  up  the  ground  round  us,  and  it  seemed  to  sweep  my 
mare  almost  off  her  feet.  She  had  received  only  a  few 
scratches.  I  was  not  quite  so  fortunate.  I  had  a  slight 
wound  in  the  left  hand,  and  two  in  the  breast.  One  of 
the  pellets  that  struck  my  breast  had  passed  through  a 
thick  part  of  my  Norfolk. jacket,  and,  being  spent,  only 
penetrated  beneath  the  skin,  and  I  was  able  to  remove  it 
with  my  penknife.  The  other  buried  itself  out  of  sight  in 
my  left  breast.  It  did  not  bleed  much  externally.  It  was 
painful  at  times,  but  I  did  not  take  any  measures  to  have 
it  extracted,  and  after  a  lapse  of  thirteen  years  it  grew 
out  and  was  removed  without  pain.  It  proved  to  be  a 
little  drop  of  lead,  about  the  size  of  No.  1  shot. 

This  adventure  was  all  over  in  less  time  than  it  takes 
to  read  the  account  of  it,  and  we  continued  our  journey 
in  the  increasing  heat,  and  alighted  at  the  new  school  in 
Karyetein  at  eleven  o'clock,  having  ridden  the  whole  dis- 
tance from  Palmyra  in  a  little  over  twelve  hours,  including 
interruptions. 

My  first  care  on  reaching  Karyetein  was  to  have  my 
mare  sponged  down  with  soap  and  tepid  water,  and  her 
back  well  washed  with  native  wine.     Then  she  was  rubbed 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  211 

with  a  flannel  cloth  till  she  was  perfectly  dry,  and  lier 
hoofs  were  anointed  with  olive  oil.  All  this  time  she  was 
feeding  from  her  nose-bag,  and  gently  moving  about.  By 
one  o'clock  we  were  ready  to  continue  our  journey ;  but 
it  soon  became  apparent  that  I  must  continue  it  alone,  for 
my  friend  and  his  steed  were  both  thoroughly  exhausted. 
I  suggested  that  it  would  be  a  kind  act  for  him  to  wait 
and  escort  the  ladies  past  danger,  during  the  remainder 
of  the  journey,  and  my  friend  acquiesced;  and  so,  after 
the  formidable  formalities  of  leave-taking,  the  sheikhs  and 
local  functionaries,  mounted  on  horses  with  gay  trappings, 
accompanied  me  as  I  cantered  out  of  Karyetein,  at  four 
minutes  past  one  on  Friday.  - 

For  the  first  hour  I  met  several  parties  of  mounted 
travellers,  but  in  the  baking  heat  we  scarcely  exchanged 
words.  On  the  hill-sides  there  were  flocks  of  goats,  with 
tinkling  bells,  and  here  and  there  foul  vultures  were 
engaged  in  gorging  themselves  on  the  carrion  of  animals 
that  had  fallen  by  the  way.  A  few  pin-tailed  grouse  flew 
out  of  our  way,  and  here  and  there  I  saw  Persian  larks ; 
but  the  way  became  fearfully  dreary,  and  as  monotonous 
as  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Sometimes  I  felt  as  if  I  were  dere- 
lict in  the  middle  of  a  vast  sea.  There  was  no  trace  of 
human  beings,  or  indeed  of  any  beings,  and  no  help  could 
have  come  to  me  from  man,  had  I  needed  help. 

At  four  o'clock  I  met  a  wild-looking  caravan  of  about 
fifty  camels.  Far  down  the  plain  before  me  I  had  seen 
them  resting  during  the  fierce  heat,  but  they  met  me  in 
motion  about  a  mile  and  a  half   from  their  resting-place. 


212  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

They  had  with  them  some  women  and  children,  but  they 
were  a  most  filthy,  cut-throat-looking  party.  I  saluted 
them,  but  they  scowled  at  me  and  did  not  return  my  salu- 
tation. We  passed,  however,  without  damage  given  or 
received. 

When  I  approached  the  resting-place  of  the  caravan,  I 
saw  a  striking  illustration  of  the  eagles  gathering  to  their 
prey.  The  surly-looking  party  had  left  behind  them  a 
dying  or  dead  camel.  It  was  a  bright  Syrian  day,  and 
there  was  not  a  speck  on  the  sky  from  horizon  to  horizon. 
But  soon  a  vulture  appeared,  so  high  up  in  the  blue  vault 
that  it  did  not  seem  bigger  than  a  lark.  Whether  guided 
by  scent  or  by  sight,  it  came  without  delay,  and  with  un- 
erring precision  steered  its  coui-se  to  the  dead  camel.  A 
veritable  bolt  from  the  blue,  it  dropped  on  its  victim. 

But  the  feast  was  not  to  be  a  solitary  affair.  Soon  the 
air  became  filled  with  vultures,  screaming  and  hastening 
to  their  prey,  and,  foul  in  talon  and  red  in  beak,  they 
greedily  settled  on  their  victim.  I  allowed  my  mare  to 
walk  while  watching  the  guests  assembling,  and  when  I 
passed  the  meeting-place  the  great  birds  were  feeding  as 
eagerly  as  if  thay  had  been  at  the  Lord  Mayor's  banquet 
or  a  Corporation  dinner. 

It  was  pleasant  to  reflect  during  the  remainder  of  the 
journey,  when  I  saw  vultures  watching  me  from  the  cliffs, 
that  a  fatal  accident  to  either  myself  or  mare  would  not 
pass  unappreciated.  In  fact,  the  vultures  of  the  desert  are 
as  eager  to  take  advantage  of  a  passing  misfortune  or 
calamity,  as  are  the  vultures  and  sharks  in  civilized  society. 


PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  213 

And  have  they  not  their  uses,  in  helping  kindly  nature  to 
bury  dead  things  out  of  sight? 

In  another  hour  I  passed  the  foundation  of  a  ruin,  near 
which  we  had  an  interesting  adventure,  a  few  days  before, 
on  our  way  to  Palmyra.  Our  ladies  were  riding  about  a 
mile  ahead.  We  were  all  fresh,  and  ready  for  any  adven- 
tures that  might  turn  up. 

Suddenly  we  saw  our  ladies  leave  the  beaten  track,  and 
gallop  off  to  the  left  into  the  desert  at  a  splendid  pace, 
with  a  tally-ho !  We  all  put  spurs  to  our  horses  and  gal- 
loped furiously  after  them.  The  ladies  stopped  shyly  at 
a  little  hollow,  beside  something  that  seemed  to  be  moving. 
When  we  arrived  we  saw  a  sad  object,  not,  however,  want- 
ing in  a  comic  element. 

Our  ladies  had  actually  discovered  a  naked  man.  He 
was  a  soldier,  and  had  been  carrying  a  government  mes- 
sage from  Jerud  to  Karyetein ;  but  some  Bedawin  had 
taken  his  arms,  mule,  and  clothes,  and  left  him  like 
Adam  in  innocence,  before  he  bethought  him  of  the  fig- 
leaves. 

What  were  we  to  do  with  this  derelict  waif  of  human- 
ity? It  was  suggested  that  the  ladies  who  had  found  him 
should  cast  lots  for  him;  but  it  was  a  matter  for  something 
beyond  jesting.  Our  native  escort  was  disposed  to  leave 
him  where  he  was,  to  feed  the  vultures,  a  score  of  which 
were  soaring  around. 

Fortunately  I  had  taken  a  waterproof  coat  with  me, 
which  I  was  not  likely  to  require,  and  it  served  him  for  a 
complete  suit.     I  happened  also  to  have  taken  a  half  loaf 


214 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


in   my  pocket,  at  luncheon  time,  to  feed  my  mare  with 
when  walking  beside  her,  as  was  my  wont. 

The  poor  fellow  was  weak  with  hunger,  and  unable  to 
walk;  but,  clothed  in  my  waterproof,  with  my  mare's 
luncheon  in  his  hand,  he  was  hoisted  on  to  one  of  the 
baggage  mules,  and  carried  into  Karyetein.  His  grati- 
tude knew  no  bounds,  but  our  sense  of  satisfaction  at 
acting  the  Good  Samaritan  was  an  exceeding  great 
reward.  We  received  no  official  thanks  for  rescuing 
the   soldier. 


Ui;l;;.     v-l      liii.    li.:.U4_^.. 


SyUAKE    ENTABLATURE     IN    GREAT    TEMPLi. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


/'~^ANTERING  down  the  dreary  plain,  towards  Jerud,  I 
^-^  came  in  sight  of  two  horeemen  who  were  riding 
before  me.  As  I  was  going  much  faster  and  steadier 
than  they,  I  gained  rapidly  on  them,  and  at  last  over- 
took them.  They  were  splendid-looking  fellows,  well 
mounted  and  well  armed.  They  carried,  in  addition 
to  their  spears,  and  daggers,  and  horse-pistols,  the 
dabbous,  which  was  the  weapon  I  feared  most  in  Syria. 
The  dabbous  of  Arabia  corresponds  to  the  genuine  shil- 
lelah  of  Ireland.  Its  growth  is  watched  over  for  years. 
Branches  are  removed,  leaving  the  single  stem,  and 
when  the  root  has  become  large  and  bulbous,  the  sap- 
ling is  taken  up,  seasoned,  and  dressed.  Then  steel 
spikes  are  driven  into  it,  and  the  heads,  which  stand 
out,  are  filed  to  rough,   angular  points. 

The  dabbous  is  a  much  more  powerful  and  deadly 
weapon  than  the  shillelah.  I  cannot  say  that  I  ever 
feared  the  firearms  of  the  Arabs.      They  always  seemed 


2i6  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

to  be  more  formidable  to  friend  than  to  foe.  And  the 
spear,  notwithstanding  all  that  lias  been  said  in  its 
praise,  is  an  unwieldy  and  ineffective  arm.  But  the 
dabbous  is  a  lethal  weapon,  and  one  blow  of  it  is  suffi- 
cient for  either  man  or  horse. 

Travellei-s  have  plenty  of  room  to  pass  each  other  in 
the  desert,  without  inconvenience,  and  so  I  attempted  to 
give  a  wide  berth  to  the  horsemen  on  their  right ;  but  they 
circled  round  to  the  right,  and  drawing  up  their  horses 
in  front  of  me,  so  as  to  bar  my  way,  one  of  them 
shouted  to  me,  with  a  voice  of  command,  "  Shallih,  ya 
Franji!''  ("Strip,  O  Frank!") 

In  the  desert,  as  I  have  already  said,  no  law  is  recog- 
nized but  that  of  the  strong  arm  and  keen  blade,  and 
opportunity  is  often  the  occasion  of  violence.  The 
Arabs  will  not  enter  into  a  contest  lightly,  unless  the 
chances  are  greatly  in  their  favour;  but  being  two  to 
one,  and  fortified  with  all  the  orthodox  weapons  of  their 
calling,  they  thought  they  saw  a  line  opportunity  for 
transferring  to  themselves  my  mare,  my  clothes,  and  my 
arms,  with  pocketfuls  of  money  besides. 

I  knew  well  what  "  ShallUi "  meant.  A  party  of 
Arabs  had,  on  one  occasion,  surprised  my  colleague.  Dr. 
Crawford,  of  Damascus,  at  a  well  in  the  desert.  They 
screamed  "  Shallih  "  at  him  and  his  companions.  The 
companions  Avho  showed  signs  of  resistance  were  knocked 
over  with  spears,  and  then  they  peeled  off  every  stitch 
and  shred  of  garment  that  they  wore,  and  humbly  handed 
all  to  the  robbers.     Dr.  Crawford  would   not  strip ;   but 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  217 

his  naked  companions,  seeing  that  the  Arabs  were  going 
to  kill  him,  removed  all  his  garments,  as  he  stood  pas- 
sive and  motionless  —  even  his  boots  and  socks  —  and 
handed  all  over  to  tlie  lords  of  the  desert.  He  pleaded 
for  his  hat,  as  the  heat  was  fierce,  and  it  was  of  no  use 
to  them;  but  they  ran  their  spears  into  it,  and  tore  it 
into  small  fragments. 

"  Shallih  !  "  shouted  again  one  of  ray  would-be  despoilers, 
the  words  hissing  from  between  his  white  teeth  as  we  sat 
on  our  steeds  staring  at  each  other. 

Keeping  my  finger  on  the  trigger,  and  my  eye  on  the 
robbers,  I  said,  very  slowly  and  calmly :  "  You  are'  both 
absolutely  in  my  power.  I  can  fire  twenty  shots  with 
this  gun,  and  six  with  this  revolver,  before  you  have 
time  to  lift  a  hand.  Ask  pardon  from  God,  and  plant 
your  spears  instantly  in  the  ground,  and  I  will  spare 
you." 

There  was  a  space  of  ten  or  fifteen  yards  between  us. 
I  lifted  my  gun,  and  my  mare,  thinking  I  was  going  to 
fire,  stood  steady  as  a  rock.  Instantly  both  men  stuck 
their  spears  into  the  ground,  and,  leaping  off  their  horses, 
ran  towards  me  as  if  to  kiss  my  hand  or  stirrups. 

"Stand  back,"  I  shouted  ;  "leave  your  rusty  old  daggers 
and  pistols  with  your  spears,  picket  your  horses,  and  come 
and  eat  with  me." 

On  several  critical  occasions  in  Syria,  both  when  alone, 
and  in  company  with  others,  I  succeeded  in  averting 
bloodshed  by  an  assumption  of  authority.  The  two 
would-be  robbers  did  as  they  were  told,  and  then  followed 


2i8  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

me  to  a  hillock,  two  hundred  yards  or  so  from  their 
horses.  I  spread  out  my  biscuits,  dates,  and  cheese,  and 
we  all  three  sat  down  to  the  frugal  fare.  They  added 
dried  olives  and  salted  pistachios  to  the  feast.  They 
handed  me  some  of  the  salted  pistachios,  and  as  soon  as 
I  had  put  one  into  my  mouth,  they  said  we  were  brothers, 
and  then  they  proceeded  to  kiss  my  hand.  I  then  felt 
perfectly  safe  with  them,  and  proceeded  to  show  them  the 
mystery  of  my  arms,  telling  them  how  glad  I  was  that 
I  had  not  been  obliged  to  slay  them. 

One  of  them  said,  "  Are  you  a  Franji  ? "  "  No,"  I 
replied,  "I  am  an  Inglizi." 

"Ah,"  said  he,  "you  are  ruled  by  a  woman,  live  on 
calico,  and  drink  brandy." 

I  responded :  "  My  people  never  '  Shallih '  at  the  bid- 
ding of  another,  or  show  their  backs  to  a  foe,  or  take  what 
is  not  their  own.  They  make  calico,  and  build  ships,  and 
cultivate  the  ground,  and  live  in  peace  without  fear. 
Some  of  them,  I  added,  are  not  Christians,  and  they 
get  drunk  and  make  others  drunk,  and  try  to  '■Shallih'' 
the  weak,  and  either  flee  to  other  countries,  or  get  shut 
up  in  prisons." 

"  Are  you,"  he  asked,  "  one  of  the  Nazarites,  who  wor- 
ship images  and  saints  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  said ;  "  I  am  a  Christian.  We  Avorship  God 
only,  and  if  you  come  to  my  church  in  Damascus  you 
will  see  no  pictures  and  hear  no  mention  of  saints." 

"  Do  you  believe  in  Muhammed  ?  "  he  asked. 

"Yes,"  I  said;  "I  believe  in  Muhammed  as  a  famous 


^  ^'V  -V^>»^r 


3   C   U    S. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  219 

Arab.  He  slaughtered  the  idohitrous  Nazarites  who  had 
departed  from  the  pure  and  holy  religion  of  Jesus  Christ : 
but  he  was  a  gross,  cruel,  and  licentious  Bedawi." 

"  Our  law,"  said  the  robbers,  "  permits  us  to  take  by 
force  from  a  hostile  tribe,  from  the  people  of  a  village, 
from  a  desert  caravan,  and  from  a  traveller  like  yourself. 
It  is  lawful  spoil,  not  theft,  is  it  not?  " 

I  said :  ""  Your  law  is  cowardly,  and  cruel,  and  cannot 
have  the  approval  of  God,  whatever  Muhammed  may  have 
thought.  It  permits  you  to  rob  the  weak.  Christ's  law 
is,  'Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself,'  and  he 
enjoins  on  all  his  followers  to  do  to  others  what  they 
would  wish  othei"s  to  do  to  them." 

"  W'AUah,  is  tliat  so  ?  "  ejaculated  both  at  the  same  time. 
"  We  have  heard  that  two  great  princes  contend  in  your 
country  for  the  mastery.  Prince  Kladstone  wants  to 
make  all  the  Turks  Nazarites,  and  the  Jew  prince  wants 
to  make  all  the  Nazarites  Turks.     Is  it  so?" 

I  tried  to  explain  that  Christians  were  never  made  by 
the  sword,  as  Muhammedans  had  been,  but  by  love,  faith, 
and  voluntary  surrender ;  and  then,  giving  to  one  the 
Gospel  of  St.  John  in  Arabic,  and  to  the  other  the  Gospel 
of  St.  Matthew,  and  exacting  from  both  a  promise  that 
they  would  read  the  portions,  I  remounted  my  mare  and 
galloped  off. 

Long  afterwards,  one  of  the  two  recognized  me  in 
Hamah  Avhen  I  was  travelling  with  Subhi  Pasha.  He 
attaclied  himself  to  me  with  the  most  dog-like  fidelity, 
and  it  was  he  who  procured  for  me  the  gypsum  by  which 


220  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

I  was  able  to  take  casts  of  the  Hittite  inscriptions.  He 
assured  me  that  he  and  his  companion  had  agreed  on  the 
distribution  of  my  arms,  mone}^  and  clothes,  and  on  the 
disposal  of  my  mare.  When  we  met  in  Hamah  he  had 
read  the  Gospel  of  St.  John  with  delight,  and  still  carried 
the  portion  on  his  person. 

The  benedictions  fell  as  thick  at  our  parting  as  the  male- 
.  dictions  had  fallen  at  our  meeting.  Firmness  with  kind- 
ness works  miracles  even  in  the  desert. 

My  mare  galloped  for  hours  along  the  homeward  track. 
The  scenery  was  bleak,  barren,  and  desolate,  with  no  living 
thing  except  the  jerboas^  or  ground  rats,  that  sat  at  the 
mouths  of  their  holes,  and  whisked  in  when  one  came 
near.  The  sun  was  sinking  behind  the  western  mountains, 
and  after  it  disappeared  the  brief  but  glowing  twilight 
faded  into  darkness ;  a  cold  wind  swept  across  our  path ; 
but  my  mare  went  forward  with  the  steadiness  and  untir- 
ing energy  of  a  steam-engine.     Such  is  blood. 

I  became  very  sleepy,  and  slept  for  hours  in  the  saddle, 
but  occasionally  I  was  suddenly  brought  to  consciousness 
by  my  mare  stumbling  into  the  holes  of  the  jerboas. 

That  was  the  longest  night  I  ever  remember,  but  the 
dawn  came  at  last,  and  the  sweet  and  beautiful  plain  of 
Damascus  was  in  view,  and  in  it  all  the  trees  of  the  forest 
and  the  garden  blended  their  many  shades  of  colour,  and 
extended  for  many  a  mile,  and  held  the  desert  at  bay. 
And  the  great  pearly  domes  and  graceful  minarets  rose 
from  out  the  ocean  of  emerald  green  that  surged  around 
and  over  the  city,  and  Hermon,  grand  in  its  snowy  shroud, 


PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  221 

gleamed  beyond.  And  along  tlie  di.sty  tracks,  beneath 
spreading  walnuts,  and  past  tumbling  cascades,  we  held  on 
our  way,  and  entered  the  city  as  the  sun  touched  the  snowy 
crest  of  Hermon,  and  the  criers  from  the  minarets  sum- 
moned the  faithful  to  prayei-s. 


SOOTAKy    COLUMN. 


BAB    KS-SHURKI,      DAMASCUS. 


ADVENTURES  AMONG  THE  RUINS  OF 
BASHAN. 


ojftjo 


CHAPTER   XXL 

T  HAD  made  complete  preparation  for  a  thorough  inspec- 
-■-  tion  of  the  ruins  of  Bashan,  and  for  becoming  acquainted 
with  their  inhabitants.  I  had  undertaken  several  prelimi- 
nary visits,  and  had  gained  the  confidence  and  friendship 
of  most  of  the  sheikhs  and  spiritual  chiefs  of  the  Druzes. 
With  ray  colleague,  the  late  Rev.  J.  O.  Scott,  I  had  formed 
projects  for  occupying  the  whole  of  that  interesting  dis- 
trict with  a  network  of  schools,  which  should  receive  our 
constant  surveillance.  Circumstances  prevented  this  plan 
being  carried  out. 

I  resolved,  however,  to  go  and  offer  the  Scriptures  to 
every  individual  in  all  that  region.  The  Rev.  Prof.  Andrew 
Harper,  then  an  Australian  student,  who  had  completed 
his  studies  in  Scotland  for  the  ministry,  and  who  was 
giving  a  few  months  to  the  study  of  Oriental  languages  in 
Damascus,  previous  to  his  return  to  his  own  land,  eagerly 


2  24  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

entered  into  my  project,  and  zealously  assisted  me  through- 
out. The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  placed  a 
colporteur  at  our  disposal,  leaving  me  to  choose  the  man. 
I  chose  Khalil  Dawoud,  a  member  of  our  church  in  Ra- 
sheiya,  whom  we  had  formerly  employed  as  colporteur 
at  the  expense  of  the  same  society. 

When  we  were  about  to  start  we  made  the  acquaintance 
of  a  pleasant  party  of  Englishmen,  who  were  travelling 
for  the  purpose  of  growing  beards,  and  for  other  similarly 
cogent  reasons.  We  all  agreed  to  start  on  the  following 
morning,  and  cross  the  "  field  of  forays "  together,  to 
Burak ;  but  their  master  the  dragoman  determined  other- 
wise, fearing  the  length  and  danger  of  the  way.  The 
next  morning  we  waited  for  our  new  companions  till  an 
hour  past  the  appointed  time,  and  then  started  alone.  As 
soon  as  the  dragoman  perceived  that  we  were  gone,  he 
brought  his  party  to  my  house  to  assure  them  of  the  fact 
also,  and  then  taking  them  a  few  houi-s  out  of  the  city, 
encamped  them  for  the  night  by  a  miasma  swamp. 

We  left  21  Straight  Street  on  the  4th  of  April,  about 
half-past  ten  o'clock  a.m.  As  we  passed  along  tlie  street 
eastward,  we  encountered  a  string  of  camels  entering 
the  city,  laden  with  olive-wood  for  fuel.  The  husband- 
man during  the  fruit  season  marks  the  trees  that  are 
unfruitful,  gives  them  special  attention  and  cultivation, 
and  if  they  still  continue  to  "  cumber  the  ground,"  they 
are  cut  down,  and  carried  into  the  city  on  the  backs  of 
animals,  and  sold  by  weight  as  fu'e-wood. 

It  is  not  pleasant  meeting  a  row  of  camels  with  these 


SKETCH  ROUTE  OF  BASHAN 


Scale    of    Miles. 

id  is' 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  225 

crushing  loads.  Their  cushioned  feet  make  no  noise  on 
the  pavement,  and  they  swing  so  in  the  narrow  streets 
that  there  is  always  some  dexterity  required  to  evade 
them.  They  are  conducted  along,  often  without  halter 
or  bridle,  and  as  they  are  exceedingly  timorous,  they 
dart  and  jerk  about  in  the  most  unexpected  manner,  like 
huge  uncouth  birds. 

Camels  are  very  subject  to  panic.  In  the  desert,  a 
whole  caravan  of  them  will  sometimes  scamper  off  over 
the  plain,  in  the  wildest  manner,  like  a  flock  of  startled 
birds,  and  are  only  overtaken  twenty  or  thirty  miles  off. 
A  camel  panic  is  a  fearful  event  in  the  city.  They 
rush  along  the  narrow  streets  wildly,  and  nothing  in 
their  path  need  hope  to  live.  The  cry  "  The  camels 
are  coming ! "  precedes  them,  and  the  people  rush  into 
their  shops  and  houses.  The  torrent  of  camels  sweeps 
along  till  one  slips  and  falls.  The  next  in  succession 
falls  upon  it,  and  so  on  till  the  last,  when  the  street  is 
one  throbbing  mass  of  living  camel. 

Here  and  there  on  the  right  we  see  sides  of  columns 
peeping  out  of  the  mud  walls.  These  are  the  remains 
of  the  north  side  of  the  double  colonnade  that  stretched 
for  a  mile  down  the  two  sides  of  the  Roman  via  recta^ 
and  made  "  the  street  called  Straight,"  in  the  days  of 
Paul,  a  splendid  thoroughfare,  unsurpassed  in  the  mag- 
nificent capitals  of  modern  Elurope.  We  passed  out  of 
the  city  by  Bab  es-Shurki  (eastern  gate),  through  one 
of  the  Roman  side  arches.  The  great  central  arch  is 
broken  down,  and   filled   up   with    bits  of   columns   and 

15 


2  26  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

blocks  of  Roman  mjisonry.  The  other  side  arch  is  en- 
tire and  filled  up.  Through  this  gate  Khaled,  "  the  sword 
of  the  Lord,"  entered  by  treachery  in  A.D.  634,  and 
filled  the  adjoining  streets  with  ChrLstian  blood ;  and 
near  this,  in  1148,  the  Crusaders,  under  Baldwin  III., 
made  their  last  feeble  and  vain  attempt  to  capture  the 
city. 

The  Crusaders  carved  the  fleur-de-lis  on  a  stone  out- 
side the  eastern  gate,  and  they  scattered  coins  in  the 
ditch,  where  they  are  sometimes  picked  up,  but  they 
left  no  other  memorial  at  Damascus. 

As  we  looked  down  the  walls,  in  which  we  recognized 
pieces  of  the  Roman  period,  we  saw  houses  on  the  ram- 
parts, and  windows  overhanging  the  ditch.  From  such 
a  place  was  Paul  let  down  on  the  night  of  his  memo- 
rable escape  from  Damascus. 

Our  road  lay  through  the  native  Christian  cemetery. 
It  is  a  horrible  field  of  death.  Many  of  the  vaults  are 
wide  open,  tainting  the  air  for  miles  around,  and  attract- 
ing the  dogs  and  other  wild  animals  from  afar.^ 

Among  these  vaults  is  an  oblong  building  arched  over 
with  a  slight  curve  at  the  top,  and  with  a  little  air- 
hole in  the  end.  Into  this  were  gathered  the  fragments 
of    some   seven   thousand   Christians  murdered   in  1860. 

^The  people  believe  that  the  rapid  decomposition  of  the  body  in- 
dicates a  happy  state  of  the  soul,  and  it  is  a  cause  of  great  grief 
and  scandal  to  the  friends  of  any  one  should  his  body  be  found  after 
the  lapse  of  a  year  not  sufficiently  decomposed.  Probably  it  is  to 
prevent  such  a  calamity  that  the  cemetery  is  left  unwatched,  and 
the  bodies  uncoffined,  a  prey  to  wild  beasts. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  229 

When  the  order  was  given  to  stop  the  massacre,  all 
the  pieces  of  the  mutilated  Christians  that  the  dogs  had 
left  were  deposited  in  this  mausoleum.  There  is  an  Arabic 
inscription  on  the  soft  limestone  in  the  wall,  now  much 
defaced ;  but  on  my  first  visit  to  the  place,  eight  years 
before,  I  copied  it.  It  is  in  rhyme,  and  runs  thus,  literally 
translated :  — 

"  This  is  what  the  people  of  Sheni  (Damascus)  have  done  unto  us. 
O  Loi'd,  let  not  justice  be  lost  unto  us  ! " 

In  this  we  recognize  the  old  Miltonic  spirit  expressed  in 
the  lines :  — 

"  Avenge,  O  Lord,  thy  slaughtered  saints  1 " 

On  the  other  side  of  the  way  the  ground  is  strewed  with 
long,  wedge-like  stones,  covered  with  Hebrew  inscriptions 
dating  back  several  centuries.  This  was  the  buxying-ground 
of  the  Karaite  Jews,  who  have  long  since  disappeared  from 
Damascus. 

In  the  corner  of  this  large  Jewish  cemetery  stands  the 
neat  little  Protestant  burying-ground.  In  the  matter  of 
burying  the  dead  the  Protestants  have  given  an  example 
of  a  more  excellent  way.  The  Protestant  cemetery  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  high  wall,  overhung  by  fragrant  walnuts. 
The  ground  is  marked  off  for  graves  by  rows  of  shady 
'Pride  of  India,'  and  bordered  by  damask  roses.  All 
further  attempts  at  ornamentation  have  been  frustrated. 
Yew-trees,  those  "  constant  mourners  of  the  dead,"  were 
planted,  but  they  were  soon  carried  off.     The  well  that 


230  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

was  sunk  for  the  irrigation  of  shrubs  and  flowers  was 
destroyed.  The  ornamental  gravestones  were  broken, 
and  the  non-ornamental  were  stolen  and  sold. 

In  the  midst  of  the  chaos  of  neglected  open  graveyards 
a  closed  substantial  door  is  a  mark  for  fanatics,  and  so  the 
cemetery  door  is  thickly  peppered  with  shot  and  slugs,  and 
blue  bullet  marks  appear  on  the  stones  at  each  side,  show- 
ing fanaticism  in  excess  of  skill ;  and  sometimes  the  gate 
used  to  be  smashed  in  several  times  in  one  year. 

To  that  little  cemetery  the  mission  and  consular  families 
have  made  large  contributions,  giving  sad  proof  of  the 
unhealthy  climate  of  Damascus.  In  one  row,  side  by  side, 
lie  eight  of  the  missionaries'  children.  Near  them  is  the 
grave  of  the  Rev.  J.  Orr  Scott's  beautiful  young  bride ; 
but  he,  though  due  to  Damascus,  lies  far  from  her  he  loved 
so  well,  in  the  bare,  red  sand  of  Suez.  The  Rev.  J.  Frazer 
and  wife  in  death  are  not  divided.  And  there  is  here  the 
grave  of  William  Hamnets,  an  English  mechanic  and  man 
of  God,  who  was  brought  to  Damascus  by  an  Arab  com- 
pany to  set  ujD  machinery,  and  lodged  in  a  feverish  sty, 
till  he  died. 

And  here  lies  Buckle,  who,  with  much  pretentious  schol- 
arship, erected  a  literary  pyramid  with  its  base  upwards, 
and  received  the  last  kind  offices  from  the  people  whom 
he  had  laboured  hard  to  misrepresent,  by  means  of  his 
wondrous  stores  of  second-hand  learning,  and  by  all  the 
arts  of  a  fascinating  style. 

By  the  side  of  this  man  of  letters,  spoiled  chiefly  by  the 
adulation  of  women,  lies  the  unfortunate  Countess  Telekv, 


PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  231 

in  accordance  with  a  wish  she  had  often  expressed,  even 
before  her  visit  to  Damascus. 

At  a  short  distance  from  these  rests  one  of  a  different 
type,  —  William  Broomfield,  F.R.S.,  the  kindly  Christian 
gentleman  and  profound  scientific  scholar,  whose  memory 
is  green  in  the  love  and  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him. 

And  here  also  lies  the  beautiful  and  cultured  Lady 
Ellenborough,  known  at  Damascus  as  "  The  Honourable 
Mrs.  Digby  el-Miserab,"  who  lost  her  way  in  London  in 
the  seething  slough  of  fashionable  society,  and  after  a 
wild,  passionate,  and  reckless  career,  closed  her  days  in 
peace,  as  the  wife  of  a  Bedawi  sheikh,  and  died  in  the 
Christian  faith,  "in  sure  and  certain  hope  of  a  blessed 
resurrection." 

We  were  now  fairly  on  our  way —  colporteur,  cook,  and 
two  muleteers  —  when  the  colporteur,  seated  between  his 
two  boxes  on  his  little  horse,  dashed  past  us  like  a  bolt, 
disappearing  in  a  cloud  of  dust,  which  streamed  behind  him 
like  the  smoke  of  a  railway  train.  "  Bravo  ! "  shouted  the 
muleteei"s  ;  but  it  was  not  a  case  for  bravo,  as  the  race  was 
entirely  involuntary  on  the  part  of  the  rider.  He  soon 
appeared  again,  shooting  off  at  a  tangent  in  another  direc- 
tion, and  presently,  with  a  general  crash,  the  horse  disen- 
gaged himself  from  rider  and  boxes,  and  then  turned  round 
in  the  most  gallant  manner  to  learn  the  result. 

We  rode  up,  fearing  the  worst ;  but  as  Dawoud  had  only 
fallen  on  his  head,  there  was  no  harm  done.  A  leathern 
water-bottle,  however,  had  got  crushed  in  the  fall,  and 
its  precious  contents,  Scripture  type  of  the  evanescence 


232  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

of  life,  was  spilled  upon  the  ground,  and  could  not  be 
gathered. 

The  gardens  and  orchards  through  which  we  now  passed 
were  very  beautiful.  The  light-green  apricots,  and  dark- 
green  walnuts,  and  silvery,  evergreen  olives,  interspersed 
here  and  there  with  red-brown  pomegranates  and  white- 
stemmed  poplars,  quivered  in  the  bright  spring  morning, 
each  leaf  catching  from  its  neighbour  sunbeams,  and  each 
flinging  back  to  each  burnished  diamonds ;  and  beneath 
the  trees  was  the  broad,  level  carpet  of  green,  fresh  corn  ; 
and  Hermon,  in  his  glittering  shroud,  ever  and  anon  shone 
like  burnished  silver  through  the  vistas  formed  by  the 
arching  branches.  In  front,  at  a  distance  of  seven  or  eight 
miles,  the  sombre  wall  of  the  black  mountain  seemed  to 
cross  our  path,  each  ravine  flooded  with  wondrous  tints, 
from  roseate  and  pale  violet  to  deepest  indigo. 

In  about  an  hour  we  passed  the  Moslem  village  Babila, 
with  its  dome  and  minaret  and  saint's  tomb.  By  the 
saint's  tomb  there  was  a  tree  with  thousands  of  rags 
fastened  to  its  branches.  Every  one  who  fastens  a  rag  to 
a  branch  of  this  tree  does  a  meritorious  act,  and  some 
of  these  festoons  are  sometimes  taken  away  to  serve  as 
charms. 

Passing  the  village,  we  were  in  the  open,  level  plain. 
Away  to  the  left,  in  front,  the  mirage  was  playing  fan- 
tastic tricks  with  the  little  conical  tells  of  the  Safa,  ele- 
vating them  into  considerable  mountains,  mantled  with 
groves,  and  crowned  with  villages  and  fortresses,  and  girt 
around  with  seas,  which  reflected  the  shadows  of  the  trees 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBJA.  233 

and  towns,  and  gave  to  the  whole  a  wonderful  appearance 
of  reality.  I  never  passed  that  way  without  seeing  the 
mirage  in  one  form  or  another,  but  always  wonderful. 

Leaving  the  cultivated  ground,  we  entered  on  a  part  of 
the  plain  where  the  grass  grew  deep  and  thick  as  in  an 
Irish  meadow.  Large  flocks  of  cattle  and  camels  were 
browsing  about,  and  innumerable  swarms  of  sheep  and 
goats  covered  the  face  of  the  whole  district.  After  this 
the  ground  was  thickly  covered  with  scented  southern- 
wood, the  little  shrubs  being  about  a  foot  and  a  half  high, 
through  which  our  horses  had  to  pick  their  steps.  Here 
numerous  storks,  called  by  the  Arabs  "the  father  of  luck," 
stepped  out  of  our  way  in  a  stately,  dignified  manner,  and 
eyed  us  with  curiosity  from  a  distance  of  twenty  yards,  as 
we  passed. 

We  struck  the  basaltic  formation  at  one  o'clock,  and  in 
half  an  hour  more,  having  passed  through  a  ruin  on  the 
eastern  spur  of  Jebel  el-Aswad,  we  alighted  for  lunch  in 
a  little  grove  of  poplars  at  Nejha.  Nejha  was  the  last 
village  in  the  Damascus  plain  on  our  road.  It  was  built 
on  a  rising  ground,  and  contained  about  eight  houses  and 
forty  souls,  all  Moslems.  A  duct,  led  off  from  the  'Awaj, 
supplied  it  with  a  little  dirty  water.  The  men  had  an 
evil  look,  and  two  of  them,  with  long  guns  and  heavy 
bludgeons,  were  very  anxious  to  take  us  in  charge;  but  we 
disliked  their  looks,  and  declined  their  escort — of  course 
with  great  civility,  explaining  to  them  the  nature  of  our 
guns,,  which  blazed  away  at  the  rate  of  thirty  shots  a 
minute,  rendering  guard  or  escort  unnecessary. 


234  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

The  women  had  a  gipsy  appearance.  One  blue  calico 
shirt,  closely  fitting  at  the  neck,  and  extending  to  their 
toes,  was  their  only  garment.  A  sooty-looking  cloth  was 
wrapped  round  their  heads,  leaving  the  crowns,  that  never 
felt  a  comb,  bare,  and  permitting  the  hair  to  hang  down 
their  backs  in  coarse  plaits.  They  wore  an  ornament 
stuck  in  their  noses,  and  all  had  bracelets  of  glass  or  brass. 
Their  tawny  faces  were  horribly  tattooed,  from  the  lips 
down,  and  they  had  sharp,  quick,  restless  eyes,  such  as  are 
seen  in  confirmed  pickpockets;  but  they  had  the  most 
lovely  teeth,  perfect  in  form,  and  white  as  the  purest 
ivory.  Unlike  village  women  generally,  they  were  as 
fanatical  as  their  sisters  in  Damascus,  and  we  could  not 
get  from  them  a  pleasant  look  or  word. 

The  village  contains  no  ancient  ruins,  but  it  has  two 
Latin  inscriptions  on  an  inverted  column  in  the  little 
mosque.  They  contain  the  names  of  Diocletianus  and 
Maximianus,  Constantinus,  Constantius,  and  Constans. 
The  column  may  have  been  brought  from  a  distance. 

A  few  minutes  after  leaving  Nejha  we  reached  a  broken 
bridge  over  the  almost  dry  bed  of  the  'Awaj.  This  river 
has  its  origin  in  the  springs  of  Hermon,  passes  Kefr 
Howar  and  Sasa,  and  flows  into  the  Hejany  marsh.  It 
is  very  tortuous  in  its  windings,  and  hence  is  called 
'Awaj,  namely,  "the  crooked."  For  several  years  this 
river  has  been  called  by  travellers  the  Pharpar,  and  has 
found  its  way  into  modern  maps  under  that  name,  Anth- 
out,  as  far  as  I  can  ascertain,  a  single  claim,  logical  or 
archaeological,  to  be  so  honoured. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  235 

"Are  not  Abana  and  Pharpar,  rivers  of  Damascus, 
better  than  all  the  waters  of  Israel  ?  "  The  language  of 
Naaman,  the  Sjaian  captain,  was,  no  doubt,  a  jealous 
burst  of  patriotic  indignation ;  but  the  great  general 
would  not  have  made  himself  ridiculous  in  the  eyes  of 
his  followers  by  ranking  the  brook  'Awaj  higher  than 
the  river  Jordan,  or  by  declaring  that  it  was  a  river  in 
which  he  could  bathe  at  all.  Nor  would  he  have  called 
it  a  river  of  Damascus,  seeing  that  it  is  distant  from  the 
city  a  ride  of  three  hours,  and  interposes  between  itself 
and  the  plain  of  Damascus  the  whole  range  of  the  Jebel 
el-Aswad.  On  the  other  hand,  the  meanest  follower  in 
the  Syrian's  train  would  have  endorsed  his  leader's  boast, 
as  would  every  Damascene  in  the  city  to-day,  that  the 
Abana  and  Pharpar  were  better  than  all  the  waters  of 
Israel. 

In  riding  through  that  heated  land  I  was  never  able 
to  resist  the  temptation  of  a  cold  bath,  when  one  offered ; 
but  after  two  attempts  to  bathe  in  the  'Awaj,  I  can  safely 
say  that  its  waters  have  now  no  attraction  for  me.  On 
my  first  attempt  I  lay  down  on  the  pebbly  bed  of  the 
river,  held  to  the  bottom  by  my  nails,  and  let  the  water 
and  sand  run  over  me.  I  came  out  of  the  turgid  stream 
as  if  I  had  been  whitewashed.  On  my  second  attempt 
I  plunged  into  what  seemed  to  me  a  considerable  pool, 
and  found  myself  up  to  the  knees  in  mud,  surrounded  by 
tortoises  and  frogs  and  leeches.  If  Naaman  meant  the 
'Awaj  when  he  declared  the  Syrian  waters  superior  to 
those  of  Palestine,  he  was  certainly  open  to  experience. 


236 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


The  rivers  of  Damascus  are  its  one  great  and  abiding 
charm,  and  every  Damascene  loves  them  passionately. 
The  Barada  is  split  up  into  different  channels,  several 
miles  above  the  city,  and  these  all  flow  through  Damas- 
cus, bearing  different  names  as  rivers,  and  are  supposed 
to  have  different  degrees  of  excellence.     The  river  whose 


VILLA  ON  THE   BARAI>A,  DAMASCUS. 

water  is  most  prized  is  called  the  Abanias  (doubtless  the 
Abana),  and  passes  through  what  was  once  a  fashionable 
suburb,  the  "  Southern  West  End  "  of  Damascus,  over- 
hanging the  green  merj.  Another  river  of  Damascus 
passes  through  what  was  the  northern  West  End  suburb 
of  the  city,  until  Tamerlane  destroved  it.     It  is  now  called 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  239 

tlie  river  Taura,  which  name  we  find  in  an  okl  Arabic 
version  of  the  Bible  instead  of  Pharpar ;  and  Benjamin 
of  Tudehi  identified  the  Tanra  with  the  Pharpar. 

The  "  Wady  Barbar,"  said  to  be  at  the  source  of  the 
'Awaj,  and  which  was  supposed  to  contain  in  its  name  the 
word  Pharpar,  is  now  known  to  have  no  existence  ;  and  as 
there  are  at  Damascus  a  number  of  rivers,^  known  by  dis- 
tinct and  different  names,  tliere  need  be  no  question  that 
the  same  rivers  with  various  names  flowed  through  the 
city  in  the  days  of  Naaman  and  Elisha. 

And  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  the  great  Dama- 
scene mentioned  in  his  haughty  boast  the  two  rivers  he 
had  most  enjoyed.  And  if  the  various  rivers  of  the 
Syrian  capital  now  sparkle  in  fifty-eight  public  baths 
during  the  decadence  of  the  city,  who  will  doubt  that  the 
same  sparkling  waters  were  as  extensively  used  for  pur- 
poses of  luxury  in  the  palmy  days  of  the  Ben  Hadad 
dynasty  ?  Nor  is  it  for  a  moment  to  be  supposed  that  the 
great  Syrian  leader,  who  knew  tlie  refreshing  charms  of 
the  Damascus  rivers,  would  mention  as  on  a  parity  with 
one  of  them  the  brawling  little  'Awaj. 

1  Nalir  (river)  Taura,  Nahr  Abanias,  Nahr  Kanawat,  Nahr  Yazid,  Nahr 
Barada,  Nahr  Deirany,  Nahr  Akrabany.     Each  is  called  a  river. 


COIN    OF    ARETAS. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


A  S  we  crossed  the  river  'Awaj  into  a  rich  loamy  plain 
^  *■  beyond,  we  came  up  with  a  caravan  of  mules  and 
donkeys  laden  with  jars,  on  their  way  to  the  Hauran. 
The  men  rushed  towards  us  as  we  approached  and  made 
an  attempt  to  kiss  our  feet  and  stirrups ;  and  then 
followed  a  little  torrent  of  jerked-out  ejaculations,  along 
with  which  the  hands  were  held  up  to  heaven,  thanking 
God  for  sending  us  to  be  their  protectors. 

One  of  our  servants  shouted  out,  "  God  is  great,"  the 
usual  solace  for  all  difficulties,  and  we  were  in  the  act  of 
riding  on  past  them,  when  they  appealed  to  us  so  pite- 
ously  that  we  had  not  the  heart  to  leave  them.  They 
pointed  to  their  little  donkeys,  and  their  fi-agile  burdens, 
and  told  us  how  many  mishaps  they  had  had  on  that  same 
road,  on  their  way  to  BurRk.  They  assured  us  that  the 
Arabs  would  without  doubt  sweep  down  upon  them  from 
behind  some  hill,  if  we  left  them,  "  And,  oh  !  my  lord,  Ave 
liave  only  you  and  Allah  to  trust  in."     Their  appeal  was 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  241 

successful,  and  we  lingered  with  them,  much  against  our 
will. 

They  had  been  waiting  for  us  all  the  morning,  as  our 
muleteers,  who  were  their  friends,  had  informed  them  of 
the  strong  escort  that  our  travelling  companions  would 
have,  so  they  had  ventured  to  come  the  nearer  but  more 
dangerous  way  in  hopes  of  being  protected. 

Our  route  lay  over  a  high  stony  table-land,  with  hills  to 
right  and  left.  As  we  proceeded  we  met  an  almost  naked 
shepherd,  walking  towards  Damascus,  followed  by  his 
sheep,  from  which  our  potters  first  inferred  that  the 
country  was  safe,  as  a  shepherd  and  sheep  could  move 
through  it  unmolested ;  and  secondly  that  there  was  great 
danger,  as  the  shepherd  was  only  coming  from  some  tribe 
in  the  vicinity. 

A  deputation  of  potters  now  approached  us,  headed  by 
their  most  eloquent  spokesman,  who  by  the  most  fierce 
and  extravagant  tales,  in  which  they  or  their  ancestors 
had  put  to  flight  or  slaughtered  hosts  of  Bedawin,  en- 
deavoured to  arouse  our  valour,  or  at  least  to  prevent  it 
from  "  oozing  out  at  our  finger  ends."  When  I  hinted  to 
them  that  my  mare  was  very  timorous,  and  very  fleet,  and 
would,  no  doubt,  bolt  at  the  first  sight  of  the  Arabs,  but 
expressed  the  hope  that  from  their  hereditary  proficiency 
in  the  art  of  disposing  of  their  enemies,  they  would  never 
miss  me,  they  suddenly  changed  their  tone,  and  told  how 
they  and  their  ancestors  had  been  "  killed  "  by  the  Arabs 
without  any  power  of  retaliation.^ 

1  An  Arab  always  speaks  of  a  beating  as  a  killing.  "  I  ate  a  killing" 
is  a  very  common  phrase.  \  g 


242  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

Of  course  every  second  word  was  punctuated  with 
an  oath.  The  spirit  of  "  brag  "  had  now  seized  our  party, 
and  they  boasted  and  swaggered,  and  hurled  great  stones 
feebly  at  the  heads  of  imaginary  Bedawin,  and  kept 
up  a  regular  fusillade  from  their  one  gun ;  but  they 
would  have  collapsed,  like  their  earthen  pots,  before  any 
serious  blow.  When  we  remonstrated  with  them  that 
their  tumultuating  and  firing  were  calculated  to  attract 
the  enemy,  they  assured  us  that  the  Arabs  would  know 
from  their  firing  that  they  were  armed,  and  should  they 
see  us  with  them,  they  would  take  us  for  their  armed 
escort.  Thus  what  seemed  to  us  folly  was  only  strategy 
in  their  eyes. 

Following  some  partridges  on  a  ridge  to  the  left,  I 
found  that  there  were  artificial  hollows  in  the  ground,  a 
few  hundred  yards  from  our  path,  in  which  a  large  number 
of  Arabs  might  lie  concealed,  and  pounce  almost  instanta- 
neously on  passers-by.  Such  a  discovery  suggested  watch- 
fulness and  preparedness,  especially  as  we  were  on  one 
of  the  paths  most  frequented  by  the  Arabs.  My  faith, 
however,  in  Bedawi  attacks  had  been  growing  weaker 
and  weaker  for  eight  years,  till  I  had  almost  become  a 
confirmed  sceptic.  I  knew  that  they  seldom  make  a 
serious  attack  unless  the  odds  are  tremendously  in  their 
favour. 

The  most  conspicuous  object  in  view  for  a  long  time 
was  a  solitary  tree,  high  up  on  the  side  of  a  hill  to  the 
right  in  front.  The  hill  was  called  Ahu  Shajarat,  "  the 
father   of   one   tree."     This  part  of  the   desert  was   ex- 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  243 

ceedingly  stony  and  barren,  but  yet  it  showed  signs  of 
former  occupation,  by  foundations  of  houses,  by  traces 
of  fields,  and  by  stone  walls  stretching  miles  in  a  straight 
line  over  hill  and  plain.  We  passed  also  a  place  where 
water  could  be  had,  and  where  there  were  numerous  sheep- 
folds  surrounded  by  circular  single  stone  walls  breast-high. 

We  now  reached  the  spot  celebrated  for  Bedawi  gazzos 
(razzias).  To  the  left  there  was  a  high  conical  hill, 
called  Abu  Muraj,  behind  which  the  Arabs  lie  in  wait 
and  form.  A  trustworthy  man  with  good  sight  lies  on 
the  top  of  the  hill,  so  as  to  be  unseen  from  the  road, 
and,  when  the  proper  moment  arrives,  he  starts  to  his 
feet,  and  gives  the  signal,  whereupon  the  Arabs  sweep 
round  the  base  of  the  hill  with  a  fiendish  noise,  and  with 
quivering  lances  make  their  sudden  flank  attack  on  the 
passing  caravan.  Clearing  the  hill,  they  find  a  piece 
of  ground  admirably  suited  for  their  peculiar  liostile 
operations. 

If  the  caravan  is  properly  equipped  and  commanded, 
it  forms  instantly  into  a  circular  rampart,  the  animals 
being  firmly  braced  the  one  to  the  other.  The  men  who 
have  guns  fire  away  in  succession  as  fast  as  they  can 
over  the  backs  of  the  mules  and  from  under  the  bellies 
of  the  camels,  and  those  who  have  no  firelocks  stand 
by  their  animals  with  clubs  and  stones,  waiting  for  the 
onset  at  close  quarters.  Should  the  Bedawm  have  the 
caiavan  at  their  mercy,  and  no  blood-feud  exists  to  em- 
bitter their  feelings,  they  are  seldom  wantonly  cruel. 
They  approach  with  such  shouts  as,  "  Surrender,  and  we 


244  PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 

will  spare  your  lives,  and  be  content  with  the  half  of 
your  loads " ;  "  Give  up  your  guns,  and  we  will  leave 
you  your  mules." 

If  an  easy  victory  is  not  certain,  the  Bedawin,  chary  of 
their  own  blood,  but  especially  of  that  of  their  mares, 
gallop  round  and  round  the  caravan,  endeavouring  to  cut 
off  stragglers,  and  making  feints  here  and  there  at  full 
gallop  to  break  the  living  rampart,  but  in  the  moment  of 
feigned  assault  they  wheel  their  horses  round  on  their  own 
length  and  gallop  off.  The  affair  generally  ends  with 
much  curvetting,  much  dust,  and  a  horrid  din. 

But  we  had  evidence  before  us  that  these  gazzos  do  not 
always  end  so  bloodlessly,  for  the  district  around  is  a  cem- 
etery. Here  and  there  are  black  mounds,  where  friend 
and  foe  rest  heaped  together,  as  in  more  civilized  lands, 
"  after  a  glorious  victory  " ;  and  in  other  places  there  are 
little  mounds  and  solitary  head-stones  which  mark  the 
scene  of  insignificant  skirmishes  and  foul  murders. 

We  now  descended  to  the  level  plain.  Here  I  had  an 
exciting  chase  after  a  bustard,  about  the  size  of  a  large 
fowl,  called  by  the  Arabs  hihari.  My  mare  was  so  ex- 
cited at  being  taken  from  the  rest  that  I  could  not  fire 
from  the  saddle,  and  so  I  sprang  to  the  ground  and  pur- 
sued it  on  foot.  It  kept  its  distance,  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  yards  from  me,  and  when  I  stopped  it  stopped 
too.  At  last  I  made  a  final  effort  down  the  hill,  and 
gained  upon  it  till  there  was  only  about  one  hundred  yards 
between  us,  when  it  took  to  its  wings,  and  flew  about  five 
hundred  yards  further,  and  so  I  was  obliged  to  leave  it. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  247 

The  sun  was  sinking  in  the  west  when  we  reached  the 
level  plain.  Before  us  a  weird-looking,  dark  wall  crossed 
our  path  like  a  low,  gloomy  sea-coast.  A  thin  strip  of 
green  corn  seemed  to  be  sweeping  like  a  sea  around  the 
headlands  and  up  among  the  creeks.  And  the  wondrous 
Lejah  (Argob  of  the  Hebrews,  Deut.  iii.  4, 14;  Trachonitis 
of  the  Greeks)  lay  before  us,  having  all  the  features  of  a 
sea  —  a  troubled  sea.  From  no  place  could  we  have  had  a 
more  curious  view  of  the  Lejah.  The  setting  sun  touched 
the  tops  of  the  rocks  and  the  bashes,  and  in  contrast  with 
the  black  shadows  they  shone  like  the  crests  of  waves, 
and  the  dark  shadows  appeared  like  the  deep  furrows  of 
the  waves. 

It  was  hard  not  to  believe  that  the  Lejah,  as  spread  out 
before  us,  was  a  heavy  sea,  rolling  great  billows  from  west 
to  east.  The  sun  went  down  upon  us  as  we  neared  the 
edge  of  the  plain,  and  in  the  brief  twilight  we  saw  the 
heads  of  watchers  looking  out  upon  us  from  the  rocks. 
We  rode  up  a  tortuous  path  unto  the  edge  of  the  Lejah, 
and  pitched  our  tent  in  the  dark,  among  the  ruins  of 
Burak. 

We  were  surrounded  by  a  motley  crowd  of  muleteers 
and  camel-drivers,  who  were  waiting  for  the  cover  of  the 
night  to  proceed  to  Damascus  with  their  precious  loads  of 
wheat.  Hearing  that  we  had  seen  no  Arabs  on  the  way, 
the  caravan  filed  off  immediately.  The  people  of  Burak 
also  gathered  sullenly  round,  but  neither  helped  nor  hin- 
dered us. 

When  I  renewed  my  acquaintance  with  the  sheikh,  he 


248  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

gave  me  to  understand  that  their  water  was  entirely 
exhausted ;  and  though  we  were  willing  to  pay  for  it  at 
any  price,  we  could  only  obtain  about  two  pints,  which 
had  been  treasured  up  all  day  in  a  dirty  skin,  having  been 
carried  seven  or  eight  miles  on  the  back  of  a  donkey.  The 
tea  manufactured  from  this  fluid  was  of  a  hue  that  would 
have  delighted  the  eyes  of  a  Persian,  but  its  taste  was 
strongly  suggestive  of  leather  broth,  and  as  no  amount  of 
sugar  would  neutralize  the  flavour  of  raw  hide,  we  swal- 
lowed down  the  bitter  beverage  like  medicine. 

Our  attempts  to  sleep  in  Burak  proved  even  a  greater 
failure  than  our  attempts  to  make  tea ;  for  though  the 
colonists  of  the  place  are  not  numerous,  they  have  brought 
a  very  abundant  and  healthy  supply  of  black  and  white 
fleas  with  them,  which  seem  to  live  and  thrive  among 
the  ruins  of  the  town,  rendering  sleep  all  but  impossible. 

The  first  man  I  saw,  in  looking  out  from  my  tent,  was  a 
soldier  whom  I  once  found  in  the  north  of  Syria  robbing 
some  peasant-women  of  truffles  that  they  had  spent  the 
day  in  digging.  The  women  appealed  to  me,  and  I  forced 
the  soldier  in  a  somewhat  high-handed  manner  to  return 
the  stolen  property.  I  had  therefore  doubts  as  to  the 
footing  on  which  I  should  meet  the  bandit;  but  as  soon 
as  I  issued  from  the  tent,  he  came  up  and  claimed  me  as 
an  old  friend. 

We  were  at  once  reminded  that  we  were  in  the  Lejah 
—  "the  refuge"  —  the  region  to  which  Absalom  fled  after 
the  murder  of  his  brother,  and  the  place  where  the 
ruffian  soldier  is   safe,  after   having  stabbed  a  shepherd 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA.  249 

to  the  heart  for  defending  his  sheep.  That  rock-girt  land 
has  been  in  all  ages  the  home  of  the  enemy  of  man,  and 
there  are  few  men  in  the  whole  district  whose  hands 
have  not  been  defiled  by  some  foul  deed. 

And  never  was  land  more  suited  to  its  inhabitants. 
Black  discharges  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth  "gloom 
the  land,"  with  a  scene  that  might  become  the  landscape 
of  Dante's  Inferno ;  and  amid  these  scenes  and  landscapes 
lurk  to-day  assassins  of  every  hue,  and  communities  red 
from  the  perpetration  of  wholesale  massacre.  Nor  is  the 
right  hand  likely  to  forget  its  hideous  cunning  among 
these  congenial  scenes;  for  on  my  first  visit  to  Barak, 
the  tall  son  of  the  sheikh,  then  a  barefooted  lad,  boasted 
that  a  few  days  before  he  had  killed  four  Arabs  with  his 
own  hand,  and  the  boast  was  confirmed  by  others  with 
circumstances  of  time  and  place. 

Leaving  exact  measurements  and  architectural  details  to 
the  Palestine  Exploration  Fund,  I  could  not  help  express- 
ing disappointment  with  the  actual  ruins,  especially  after 
the  exaggerated  accounts  of  them  which  I  had  read. 

The  style  of  architecture  is  peculiar,  but  not  wonder- 
ful. There  is  little  wood,  but  much  stone,  in  the  region, 
and  as  security  is  the  great  end  in  view  in  building  a 
house  in  the  Lejah,  the  people  find  stone  much  more 
suitable  than  wood.  It  is  curious,  no  doubt,  to  see  stone 
roofs,  and  stone  doors  and  windows,  on  a  house,  but  it 
cannot  be  considered  wonderful  that  the  people  made 
their  houses  of  the  material  which  was  most  abundant 
and  most  suitable  to  their  wants. 


250  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

The  people  of  the  Lejah  built  their  houses  as  the 
feudal  lords  built  their  castles:  they  could  fight  outside 
the  walls,  retreat  to  their  courts,  and  finally  retire  within 
the  stone  keep,  and  sleep  soundly  behind  the  stone  doors 
and  shutters.  Thus  the  houses,  though  peculiar,  are  ex- 
actly suited  to  the  circumstances  of  the  country  and 
the  necessities  of  the  people. 

A  few  of  the  houses  are  in  a  sufficiently  perfect  state 
of  preservation  to  enable  one  to  get  a  good  general  idea 
of  the  habitations  of  Bashan.  The  walls  of  the  houses 
are  from  three  to  five  feet  thick,  and  from  eight  to 
twelve  feet  high,  built  of  squared  basalt  stones  well 
fitted  together.  Stone  plank-like  slabs,  three  or  four 
yards  long  and  about  half  a  yard  broad,  are  laid  across 
from  wall  to  wall,  and  rest  on  a  projecting  cornice  which 
runs  around  the  room.  In  some  of  the  houses  there  are 
very  massive  semicircular  arches,  on  which  the  roof  rests. 
The  doors  and  windows,  which  are  generally  small,  are  of 
black  stone.  Some  of  the  doors,  however,  even  of  private 
houses,  are  nearly  six  feet  high. 

The  doors  are  generally  folding,  and  they  are  hung  by 
means  of  pivots,  which  project  from  the  doors  into  holes 
in  the  lintels  and  thresholds.  They  are  sometimes  orna- 
mented with  panels  and  knobs  and  flowers,  but  those 
in  Bur^k  are  mostly  plain,  well-dressed  solid  slabs,  from 
six  to  ten  inches  thick.  A  few  of  the  houses  had  second 
stories,  but  owing  to  the  accumulation  of  debris  the  lower 
stories  of  some  of  the  houses  are  almost  concealed. 

As  in  all  the  villages  of  the  Hauran,  the  houses  seemed 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  251 

to  stand  on  a  mound  of  black  earth,  while  in  reality  they 
are  built  on  the  foundations  of  houses  of  a  more  remote 
antiquity.  I  descended  in  one  place  a  depth  of  sixteen 
or  eighteen  feet,  to  see  some  pottery  lately  discovered, 
and  I  found  the  walls  at  that  depth  formed  of  enormous 
undressed  and  unsquared  stones,  unlike  the  stones  of 
the  superstructure,  which  are  smaller  in  size,  and  have 
been  better  prepared  for  the  walls. 

Burak  must  have  been  a  town  of  considerable  impor- 
tance in  comparatively  peaceful  times.  It  was  built  upon 
the  rugged  rampart  that  surrounds  the  Lejah  with  its 
"  munition  of  rocks,"  and  was  thus  easily  defended.  As 
far  as  we  penetrated  the  dreadful  lava  bed  at  Burak, 
we  found  few  signs  of  cultivation,  though  there  is  pas- 
turage for  goats ;  but  there  are  vast  arable  plains  that 
sweep  up  like  a  sea  to  the  rock-girt  coast  on  which  Burak 
stands. 

A  few  Druze  families  who  now  occupy  Bur^k  cultivate 
a  patch  of  the  plain,  within  musket  range  of  their  houses, 
and  are  amply  rewarded.  They  plough,  and  sow,  and 
reap,  with  primed  muskets  slung  from  their  shoulders; 
but  if  they  were  protected  from  the  raids  of  the  Arabs, 
thousands  of  men  would  here  find  a  remunerative  field 
for  their  labour.  Even  in  comparatively  peaceful  times 
a  good  harvest  may  be  gathered  into  the  threshing-floors 
among  the  rocks,  where  the  villagers  can  defend  them- 
selves. 

The  position  of  Burak,  on  the  edge  of  an  immense 
:fertile  plain,  must  have  rendered  it  an  important  town. 


252  PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

But  it  had  other  advantages.  It  was  the  nearest  port 
to  Damascus,  on  the  coast  of  the  Lejah,  being  the  most 
northern  town  of  that  region.  It  also  lay  on  the  nearest 
route  to  Bathaniyeh,  or  the  Druze  mountain,  and  was 
thus  an  emporium  of  exports  and  imports.  From  these 
abiding  causes  of  prosperity  we  should  naturally  suppose 
that  Burak,  like  Damascus,  would  be  too  tempting  a 
prey  to  the  destroyer  to  have  many  ancient  buildings 
remaining;  but  as  Burak  seems  to  have  fallen  early 
under  the  destroying  blight  of  Islam,  and  never  to  have 
recovered,  the  ruins  are  of  considerable  antiquity. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  most  of  the  houses  which 
are  still  standing  were  built  in  early  Christian  times,  and 
when  Christianity  was  triumphant ;  for  we  find  on  all  the 
best  houses  crosses  and  other  Christian  emblems,  which 
are  evidently  of  the  same  date  as  the  buildings  them- 
selves ;  and  some  of  these  crosses  and  Christian  emblems 
are  to  be  seen  on  lintels  of  doors,  which  have  been 
so  buried  up  that  they  are  now  lower  than  the  surface 
of  the  streets.  The  Greek  of  the  inscriptions  appeal's  to 
be  that  of  the  period  between  the  second  and  fifth  cen- 
turies of  our  era.  The  Kufic  inscriptions  were  evidently 
scratched  on  the  stones  in  »itu  in  the  walls,  and  do  not, 
I  believe,  mark  the  date  of  any  building  in  Burak.  All 
the  coins  and  medals  which  I  found  in  Burak  were  those 
of  Constantine  and  his  immediate  successors. 

Thei-e  is  reason  to  conjecture  that  Burak  is  the  ancient 
Constantia,  whose  bishop,  Solemus,  was  present  at  the 
Council   of   Chalcedon,  in   the   fifth  century  (a.d.  451). 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  253 

Hierocles  places  the  episcopal  city  Constantia  among  the 
cities  of  Arabia,  and  by  the  side  of  Phaena,  the  modern 
Musmeih ;  and  Mr.  Waddington  ^  remarks  that  inasmuch 
as  the  name  Flavins  is  found  on  all  the  inscriptions  of 
Burak,  it  confirms  the  supposition  that  the  town  was 
founded  or  embellished  by  Constantine. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  ancient  name  of  the 
town,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  ruins  which  we  now 
see  are  on  the  top  of  ruins  older  still,  and  in  the  walls 
of  the  most  ancient-looking  structures  we  see  bits  of 
lintels  and  fragments  of  ornaments  rifled  from  more 
ancient  structures. 

Towards  the  outskirts  of  the  town  there  are  rude 
houses,  sometimes  built  over  caves,  and  against  the 
stones  of  these  houses  no  tool  has  ever  been  lifted  up ; 
but  as  these  houses  are  composed  of  material  in  its  primi- 
tive state,  it  would  be  equally  bold  to  predicate  either 
their  great  antiquity  or  otherwise.  That  the  town  is  of 
great  antiquity,  however,  does  not  admit  of  a  doubt, 
since  its  structures  date  from  the  time  of  the  Roman 
occupation  of  England.  Nor  will  it  be  doubted  that 
beneath  that  raised  mound  are  buried  the  remains  of  one 
of  the  "  threescore  cities  "  that  once  existed  in  Bashan, 
and  which  still  exist  under  changed  circumstances,  some- 
times under  different  names. 

The  present  name  of  Burak  signifies  tanks  or  reservoirs^ 
a  name  which  did  not  suggest  to  us  that  our  poor  horses 
would  have  to  pass  the  night  without  water,  or  that  we 

,  1  Inscriptions  Grecques  et  Latines,  p.  576. 


254  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

ourselves  would  have  to  put  up  with  a  few  cupfuls  of 
greasy  fluid  that  no  dog  with  any  self-respect  would 
drink.  Names  in  this  country  are  generally  significates, 
and  south-east  of  the  town  are  extensive  aqueducts  lead- 
ing to  a  large  tank  or  reservoir  in  the  suburb.  The 
aqueducts  are,  of  course,  broken  down  and  neglected, 
and  the  reservoir  was  filled  up  Avith  stones  by  Ibrahim 
Pasha,  the  Egyptian  (of  whom  more  anon),  as  a  war 
measure,  when  he  sought  in  vain  to  bend  the  Druzes  to 
his  will. 

This  barbarous  custom  of  destroying  the  water  supplies 
of  an  enemy  has  been  practised  in  this  land  since  the 
days  of  Abraham  (Gen.  xxvi.  15).  The  Philistines  of 
war  stopped  up  the  wells,  and  the  innocent  and  the 
guilty  suffer  together.  And  this  act  of  impotent  wrath 
on  the  part  of  the  great  Egyptian  has  rendered  this 
village  uninhabitable,  except  after  rainy  years. 

When  Burckhardt  and  Porter  visited  this  place,  they 
found  it  entirely  uninhabited.  When  I  visited  it  last  it  con- 
tained six  or  seven  families  who  had  come  from  Aleppo, 
under  the  leadership  of  Abu  Khattar,  their  sheikh.  For 
the  first  few  years  after  their  arrival  they  were  compara- 
tively happy,  as  they  had  only  the  Arabs  to  contend 
against.  If  the  Arabs  came  in  small  bands,  they  fought 
them,  and  a  fight  is  always  popular ;  but  if  they  came  in 
large  numbers,  they  gave  them  blackmail^  known  in  Arabic 
by  the  name  "  brotherhood.''  The  government  has  now 
found  them  out,  and  a  good  deal  of  their  time  is  spent 
in  concealing  their  property  and  their  numbers  from  the 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  255 

official  tax-gatherers,  who  are,  as  a  rule,  only  legalized 
brigands.  From  force  of  habit,  they  attempted  to  conceal 
their  numbere  from  us,  but  we  shall  not  be  far  wrong 
in  estimating  the  entire  population  at  sixty  souls. 

Leaving  the  village,  we  wound  down  over  the  rope- 
like lip  of  the  Lejah,  into  the  margin  of  the  plain.  On  the 
previous  year,  four  days  later  in  the  year,  when  I  visited 
Burak,  the  whole  plain  was  covered  with  a  little  lilac 
flower  which  made  the  air  heavy  with  its  rich  perfume. 
Scarcely  a  blade  of  it  was  now  to  be  seen  as  we  passed  along. 
The  difference  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  former  spring 
coming  after  a  wet  winter,  and  the  latter  succeeding  a  dry 
winter.  Swarms  of  Greek  partridges  were  running  over 
the  rocks  about  us,  and  as  we  did  not  wish  to  abandon  our 
servant,  who  was  delayed  in  the  village  settling  for  the 
teapotful  of  dirty  water  that  we  got  the  night  before,  we 
occupied  the  time  during  our  halt  in  knocking  over  a  few 
partridges  for  dinner.  We  abstained,  however,  from  kill- 
ing more  than  we  needed. 

The  process  of  bagging  partridges  in  Syria  is  very  differ- 
ent from  the  same  operation  in  England.  The  partridge  in 
Syria  is  a  larger  and  stronger  bird  than  the  common  part- 
ridge at  home,  and  as  game  laws  are  unknown,  the  birds 
look  sharply  after  partridge  preservation  themselves.  An 
old  cock,  with  a  good  eye  and  voice,  is  generally  stationed 
on  a  prominent  rock,  and  when  danger  approaches  he  gives 
a  peculiar  cry  of  warning,  and  then  slips  down  off  the 
stone,  and  runs  from  the  danger,  and  all  the  partridges  in 
the  neighbourhood  follow  the  sentinel's  example.     They 


256 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 


run  about  as  fast  as  a  common  dog,  and  the  sportsman 
must  go  at  the  speed  of  a  greyhound  to  overtake  them. 

The  usual  and  most  successful  method  is  to  walk  slowly 
towards  the  partridge  till  it  disappears  behind  the  rocks, 
then  rush  with  all  your  might  to  the  spot  where  you  last 


LEJAH   PARTRIDGES. 


saw  it,  and  continue  running  till  the  bird  rises.  This  it 
does  with  a  tremendous  screech  and  whirr,  and  you  must 
fire  quickly,  or  it  is  gone  like  a  rocket. 

The  natives  conceal  themselves  about  wells  and  springs, 
and  slaughter  the  poor  birds  when  they  come  to  drink,  and 
they  sometimes  employ  a  decoy  partridge  in  a  cage  to  call 
its  free  friends  to  their  doom. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  257 

Those  who,  like  us,  travelled  through  the  wilds  of  Syria 
without  the  luxurious  impedimenta  of  a  dragoman,  find 
these  partridges,  which  are  equally  distributed  over  the 
country,  a  great  source  of  comfort  and  economy,  especially 
as  without  them  we  should  have  had  to  buy  a  whole  sheep, 
and  slaughter  it,  every  time  we  wished  to  indulge  in  the 
luxury  of  a  meat  dinner. 

The  cook  sat  on  his  mule  and  plucked  the  partridges  as 
we  went  along,  and  on  our  arrival  at  a  village  at  night 
they  were  placed  in  a  pot  with  rice  and  water,  and  a  stew 
was  soon  prepared,  which  was  always  very  palatable  after 
a  ride  of  thirty  or  forty  miles.  We  soon  procured  our 
supply  of  partridges  for  the  day,  and  galloped  back  to  the 
village,  to  extricate  our  servant  out  of  financial  difficulties. 

The  statement  that  Druzes  received  no  return  for  their 
hospitality  sounds  patriarchal  in  books,  but  is  not  at  all 
in  accord  with  the  facts  of  our  experience.  When  they 
expect  to  receive  a  revolver,  or  a  telescope,  or  a  pocket- 
compass,  they  do  not  permit  money  to  be  paid,  lest  they 
should  not  also  get  the  valuable  instrument.  And  they 
are  also  very  generous  to  travellers  with  consular  recom- 
mendations, or  with  consular  influence,  but  they  are 
thereby  building  up  a  debt  of  obligations  which  they  will 
take  good  care  shall  be  cancelled  by  the  consul.  The 
Druzes,  however,  are  the  most  generous  and  most  hospi- 
table and  most  gentlemanly  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
land,  and  I  hope  I  shall  not  be  detracting  from  their  vir- 
tues when  I  say  that  we  were  always  able  to  pay  in  full 

for  everything  we  received  in  the  Hauran. 

17 


STONE    WINDOW     (HAURAN). 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 


/'"^N  leaving  Buiak  we  proceeded  in  a  south-westerly 
^-^  direction,  along  El-Luhf  with  the  raised  edge  of  the 
great  lava-bed  on  our  left,  and  an  immense  ocean-like 
plain  on  our  right.  It  was  impossible  to  get  rid  of  the 
impression  that  we  were  moving  along  the  tide -mark 
between  a  great  ocean  and  its  rugged  shore. 

The  Lejah  (Argob),  which  is  raised  twenty  or  thirty 
feet  above  the  plain,  runs  out  into  promontories,  and  is 
indented  with  bays  and  creeks,  and  all  the  headlands  have 
their  ruined  towers,  like  lighthouses,  and  the  bays  have 
their  little  black  ruins,  like  fishing-villages  ;  and  low  grey 
tents  here  and  there  in  angles  of  bays  and  creeks,  propped 
up  with  sticks,  reminded  us  of  nets  and  fishing-tackle 
dr3'ing ;  and  out  on  the  ocean  to  the  right,  camels, 
steering  in  different  directions,  and  greatly  magnified  by 
the  miragy  atmosphere,  heaved  and  tossed  about  like 
boats ;  the  thick,  fat  smoke  of  an  occasional  Arab's  fire 
hung   black   in   the  air,  like  the  smoke   of  a  steamboat 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  259 

starting  on  a  voyage ;  and  the  small,  round  stones  on 
which  our  horses  stumbled  ever  called  to  mind  the 
"pebbly  beach." 

The  real  objects  around  us  had  all  the  marks  of  sea  and 
shore ;  but,  in  addition,  as  usual,  the  mirage  was  playing 
all  kinds  of  fantastic  tricks,  throwing  up  beautiful  wooded 
beaches  with  castellated  crests,  and  spreading  out  glassy 
seas  which  mirrored  all  the  surrounding  objects. 

We  coasted  along,  keeping  clear  of  the  headlands,  cross- 
ing bay  after  bay  in  succession.  In  several  of  the  bays 
were  little  Arab  encampments  of  five  or  six  tents  each. 
The  men  were  away  with  their  flocks,  and  the  women,  who 
were  hideously  tattooed  and  frightfully  dirty,  were  occupied 
in  churning  goat's-milk.  The  churn  is  a  goat's  skin  which 
has  been  drawn  off  the  goat  like  a  stocking.  All  the 
openings  of  the  skin  are  tied  except  the  neck,  and  when 
the  milk  is  put  into  the  skin,  the  neck  opening  is  tied  too. 
A  woman  then  gets  down  on  her  knees  beside  the  skin 
and  rolls  it  backwards  and  forwards  with  her  hands  on 
the  ground,  which  is  the  churning  process.  She  uses  her 
fingers  as  a  strainer  to  separate  the  butter  from  the  milk, 
and  she  then  places  the  butter  separately  in  another  skin. 

I  have  sometimes  partaken  of  such  butter,  but  it 
smells  of  camel  and  tastes  of  leather,  and  no  one  could 
look  at  it  without  sympathizing  with  the  Yankee,  who 
guessed  it  would  be  better  to  serve  the  butter  in  one  ball 
and  the  hairs  in  another,  and  then  he  could  exercise  his 
discretion. 

The    first   time    we   passed   this   way  we   had   a   most 


26o  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

exciting  chase.  Our  party  consisted  of  several  clergymen 
and  a  celebrated  painter  and  his  wife.  I  ascended  a 
rising  ground  to  get  a  view  of  the  landscape,  and  just  as 
I  reached  the  top  of  the  eminence  I  came  face  to  face 
with  an  armed  Bedawi.  He  was  a  scout  sent  on  in 
advance  by  a  party  of  Arabs  who  wished  to  pass  that  way, 
to  see  if  the  country  was  free  of  Druzes.  As  soon  as 
he  saw  me,  he  galloped  off  in  a  most  frightened  manner, 
and  I,  not  knowing  what  he  might  be,  summoned  our 
Druze  escort,  and  we  all  started  in  pursuit,  our  lady 
companion  among  the  foremost. 

As  long  as  the  Bedawi  kept  his  distance  he  made 
straight  for  his  companions ;  but  when  he  found  we  were 
gaining  upon  him,  he  doubled  like  a  sly  old  partridge 
which  wishes  to  decoy  the  enemy  from  its  young.  The 
day  was  bright  and  bracing.  The  ground  inclined  gently 
in  the  direction  of  the  chase.  The  Arab,  like  the  "  man- 
slayer  "  fleeing  before  "  the  avenger  of  blood,"  bent  to  his 
horse's  neck,  parallel  with  his  spear,  and  seemed  to  fly 
over  the  plain.  The  Druzes,  like  the  avengers  of  blood, 
thundered  along  on  his  track.  Our  lady  friend  and  her 
companions  galloped  along  promiscuously  in  the  rear,  and 
thoroughly  enjoyed  the  chase. 

Those  who  have  seen  the  excitement  of  huntsmen,  after 
a  miserable  little  hare  or  fox,  can  form  some  idea  of  the 
feelings  in  this  wild  chase,  when  the  quarry  was  a  son  of 
Ishmael  on  his  own  ground,  and  our  fellow-hunters  were 
the  chivalrous  Druzes,  his  inveterate  enemy.  The  Bedawi 
fled  for  dear  life,  but  after  a  brief  course  he  was  brought 


^*i^J''SF'''"- 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  263 

to  the  ground.  He  of  course  expected  instant  death  at 
the  hands  of  the  Druzes,  and  he  seemed  to  bear  himself, 
when  we  came  up,  as  if  the  bitterness  of  death  were  already 
past;  but  his  manner  instantly  changed  when  he  found 
that  our  presence  secured  his  safety.  We  kept  him  as 
a  hostage  till  near  night,  and  then  sent  him  away  happy, 
with  a  good  backshish. 

Near  the  same  place  we  came  upon  game  of.  another 
kind' — a  large  bustard  and  a  flock  of  katha,  or  pin-tailed 
sand-grouse.  This  bustard  was  the  fn-st  that  my  com- 
panion or  I  had  ever  seen  at  large,  and  so  we  stalked  it 
carefully  from  different  sides.  We  both  got  within  long 
range  of  it,  but  did  not  succeed  in  bringing  it  down. 

I  have  since  seen  the  same  magnificent  birds  in  the  wide 
plains  bordering  the  Orontes.  There  the  young  chieftains 
of  Hasya  catch  them  with  hawks,  Avhich  seize  the  wing  of 
the  great  bird  and  I  ring  it  to  the  ground.  I  succeeded, 
however,  in  getting  several  specimens  of  the  katha,  and  I 
was  the  more  anxious  to  have  them,  as  I  knew  that  Hassel- 
quist  and  others  had  declared  they  were  the  quails  by 
which  the  children  of  Israel  were  miraculously  fed  in  the 
wilderness. 

I  once  saw  the  katha  migrating,  and  they  seemed  suffi- 
ciently numerous  to  feed  all  the  hungry  tribes  of  the 
desert.  They  swarm  so  thickly  in  the  desert  that  the 
Arabs  snare  them,  and  knock  them  down  with  sticks,  and 
sell  them  for  one  half-penny  apiece.  At  Haushhoush,  near 
Bora,  Burckhardt  declares,  "The  quantity  of  kathas  is 
beyond  description  ;  the  whole  plain  seemed  sometimes  to 


264  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

rise,  and  far  off  in  the  air  they  were  seen  like  moving 
clouds."  Russell  says,  "A  donkey's  load  of  them  may 
sometimes  be  taken  at  one  shutting  of  the  clasp-net." 

They  lay  their  eggs  on  the  desert,  and  so  thickly  are 
they  strewed  over  the  ground,  that  they  are  gathered  every 
morning  like  manna.  The  Arabs  go  forth  two  and  two, 
carrying  a  skin  between  them,  with  its  mouth  open  like  a 
sack.  Other  Arabs,  men,  women  and  children,  scamper 
about,  picking  up  the  eggs,  which  are  of  a  black-greenish 
colour,  and  as  large  as  pigeons'  eggs,  and  throw  them  into 
the  bags.  The  eggs  are,  of  course,  all  broken  up,  but  the 
compound  is  strained  through  a  hair  sieve  into  other  skins, 
and  then  served  out  like  molasses  for  use. 

The  finest  specimen  I  got  was  nine  and  a  half  ounces 
weight,  and  between  the  size  of  a  partridge  and  a  blue 
rock  pigeon.  Its  colours  and  tints  were  very  beautiful. 
A  broad  band  of  chestnut,  edged  with  dark  green,  en- 
circled the  breast,  and  the  upper  surface  of  the  body 
was  streaked  with  alternate  bars  of  yellow  and  green 
and  silver  grey,  and  on  the  centre  of  the  feathers  were 
yellow,  heart-shaped  spots.  When  flying,  it  shouts 
"  Katha,  katha  !  "  from  which  sound  it  takes  its  Hebrew 
and  Arabic  name,  and  it  takes  its  English  name,  "pin- 
tailed,"  from  the  fact  that  the  two  central  feathers  of  the 
tail  are  elongated  about  seven  inches,  and  stand  out  forked. 

We  found  its  flesh  dark  and  tasteless,  like  that  of  an 
old  pigeon,  and  much  inferior  to  partridge.  There  are 
many  circumstances  in  favour  of  these  being  the  quails 
of  Scripture,  but  I  would  suggest  that  the  kathas  are  the 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


265 


kath  of  Scripture,  birds  strictly  unclean  to  the  Israelites. 
The  Hebrew  name  for  quails  is  almost  the  same  as  the 
Arabic,  and  they  migrate  through  Syria  in  enormous 
numbers  every  spring. 

After  a  ride  of  two  hours  a  raised  promontory  stretched 
out   before  us,  and   on   its   isthmus   rose  massive,  black, 


TEMPLE   AT   MUSMKIH —  l-H.-EiNA. 


gagged  ruins.  We  worked  our  way  with  difficulty  along 
what  was  once  a  Roman  road,  and  entered  the.  city  Mus- 
meih,  the  ancient  Pheena.     The  most  conspicuous  ruin  was 


266 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


INTERIOR   OF   THE    TEMPLE. 


a  temple  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  and  the  most 
striking  object  in  the  temple  was  an  enormous  scallop  shell 
in  the  semicircular  recess  in  the  back  side,  opposite  the 

door.  The  columns  which  sup- 
ported the  half-fallen  roof  were 
curiously  wreathed  with  oak  chap- 
lets  near  the  top.  There  were 
niches  i-ound  the  walls  for  stat- 
ues, which  would,  no  doubt,  be 
found  Dagon-like,  on  their  faces, 
if  the  debris  were  removed;  and 
one  still  saw  traces  of  yellow 
and  purple  frescoes  on  the  plas- 
tered walls. 

The  spirit  that  seeks  immortality  by  scribbling  on  walls 
was  abi'oad  when  the  temple  was  erected.  Hence,  on  the 
lintel  of  the  door,  and  over  the  niches  to  right  and  left  of 
the  door,  and  on  the  stones  of  the  architrave,  are  long  and 
beautifully  cut  Greek  inscriptions.  Some  of  these  inscrip- 
tions contain  forty  lines,  and  in  some  of  the  lines  there  are 
over  seventy  lettere.  What  a  paradise  for  the  '-Dryasdusts " ! 
The  inscriptions,  however,  are  of  great  importance. 
The  longest  is  a  letter  from  the  legate  to  the  citizens 
touching  the  lodgment  of  soldiers  and  strangers.  It 
begins  thus :  "  Julius  Saturninus  to  the  Phsenians  in  the 
metropolis  of  Trachon  greeting."  We  ascertain  that 
Trachonitis,  of   the    Tetrarchy  of   Pliilip  ^  (Luke  iii.  1), 


1  I  have  a  coin  of   this  tetrarch  struck   at  Ciesarea-Philippi  In  the 
twelfth  year  of  his  reign,  and  eightli  a.d. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  267 

and  the  modern  Lejah,  are  one  and  the  same,  and  that 
Phaena  was  the  Roman  capital  of  that  region.  From 
another  inscription  we  got  the  date  of  the  building, 
which  was  a  little  after  the  middle  of  the  second  cen- 
tury of  the  Christian  era. 

From  the  date  of  this  building  we  may  approximate 
the  dates  of  the  other  buildings. 

The  palace,  or  residence  of  the  legate,  now  tenanted 
by  swarms  of  blue  rock  -  pigeons,  is  three  stories  high. 
Around  this  are  grouped  the  other  official  residences  of 
the  city.  The  style  of  architecture  is  the  same  in  all 
the  buildings :  well-built  walls  of  moderate  sized  stones, 
roughly  dressed ;  roofs  of  long,  hewn,  finely  dressed  stone 
slabs,  closely  jointed,  and  resting  on  cornices  round  the 
walls,  and  on  central  arches ;  stone  windows  and  doors, 
whose  pivots  project  from  above  and  below  into  lintels 
and  thresholds.  These  buildings  of  Musmeih  have  a  light, 
airy  appearance  seldom  met  with  elsewhere  in  Bashan. 

The  native  part  of  the  town  is  of  the  usual  low, 
gloomy  character,  and  the  Roman  structures  beside  them 
strike  one  at  fii-st  sight  as  being  of  yesterday  in  com- 
parison ;  but  then  the  native  houses  are  generally  built 
of  the  undressed  old  stones  brought  in  from  the  lava 
beds,  and  the  structures  look  as  aged  as  the  materials 
of  which  they  are  built.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Roman 
part  of  the  city  has  a  fresh  and  modern  appearance, 
being  built  with  stones  dressed  and  chiselled,  and  fresh 
from  the  quarry. 

The  accumulation  of  rubbish,  however,  is  as  deep  about 


268  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

the  Roman  houses  as  about  the  native  houses,  and  in  most 
cases  deeper,  which  would  seem  to  prove  that  the  native 
houses  are  of  more  recent  construction.  And  this  view 
is  not  unreasonable  when  we  consider  how  much  less 
solidly  they  are  built  than  the  Roman  structures,  and 
how  much  less  fitted  they  are  to  endure  the  wear  of 
ages.  On  the  other  hand,  the  native  houses  stand  on 
much  higher  mounds  of  accumulated  rubbish  than  the 
Roman  houses,  —  a  fact  which  points  to  many  recon- 
structions of  the  native  houses. 

These  facts,  however,  in  no  way  go  to  disprove  the 
remote  antiquity  of  the  city,  but  only  the  remote  antiquity 
of  its  present  buildings.  It  may  be  added  that  there  are 
structures  in  the  suburbs,  half  cave,  half  house,  which 
might  be  of  any  age.  There  is,  however,  little  accumu- 
lation of  rubbish  about  them,  and  they  show  few  signs 
of  occupation. 

Musmeih  is  not  a  comfortable  place  to  linger  in.  Tall 
men,  armed  with  long  guns,  which  reached  a  good  distance, 
whether  they  carried  far  or  not,  followed  us  stealthily,  and 
watched  all  our  movements  from  afar.  Their  teeth  were 
glittering  white,  and  their  black  eyes  had  a  peculiar, 
uncertain  light.  Their  only  garment  was  a  shirt,  reach- 
ing from  neck  to  heel,  which,  from  colour  and  circum- 
stance, seems  to  have  been  born  at  their  birth,  and  to 
have  grown  with  their  growth.  Through  this  garment 
peeped  lithe  and  brawny  limbs  of  a  dark  olive  colour.  A 
camel's-hair  rope  two  or  three  times  round  the  head,  and 
a  broad  leathern  girdle,  with  knives  and  charms  pendant, 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  269 

completed  their  toilets.  They  were  all  barefooted,  and 
as  they  were  little  encumbered  with  flesh  or  garments, 
they  ran  over  the  ruins  like  tigei-s. 

When  approaching  a  group  of  ruins,  you  heard  the 
crowd  following  with  such  a  tumultuous  noise,  and  with 
such  vigour  of  epithets-,  tliat  you  supposed  they  were 
coming  to  blows.  You  turned  and  faced  them,  and  they 
shied  back  like  fish  in  a  pond,  and  there  followed  a  great 
calm.  As  you  entered  the  ruin  you  saw  a  form  emerging 
from  it  at  the  other  side,  and  when  you  paused  in  the 
centre  to  get  an  idea  of  the  structure,  you  know  that  a 
score  of  pairs  of  eyes  were  converging  upon  you,  as  in  a 
focus,  from  every  part. 

They  peeped  at  you  from  every  window,  from  over  the 
wall,  in  at  the  open  doors,  and  down  from  the  portions 
of  the  roof  still  remaining.  When  you  looked  at  one  of 
these  gazers,  he  returned  your  look  with  furtive,  pick- 
pocket glances,  and  soon  disappeared.  When  you  moved 
on  to  another  position,  they  hurried  after,  noisily  com- 
paring notes,  and  again  scrambled  up  the  walls  like 
monkeys,  and  took  up  their  positions  as  mutes. 

Everything  you  do  is  wonderful  in  the  sight  of  these 
wild  people.  A  compass  is  an  instrument  for  pointing 
out  the  position  of  hid  treasures.  A  cylinder  that  lets 
out  and  in  a  long  measuring -line  is  looked  upon  as  an 
inexplicable  work  of  the  Jan.  But  the  greatest  wonder 
of  all  is  my  Prince  Pless  breech-loader,  which  they  endow 
with  virtues  that  would  make  it  the  idol  of  the  military 
powers  of  Europe. 


2  70  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

Before  these  unsophisticated  creatures,  it  is  the  cus- 
tom with  some  travellers  to  swagger  and  to  bully  any 
of  them  that  come  in  their  way,  and  this  conduct  some- 
times meets  its  reward  in  the  bully  getting  thrashed; 
for  these  men,  though  shy  and  sheepish-looking,  are  not 
cowards  when  their  blood  is  up,  and  as  they  live  like 
wild  beasts  in  dens  they  fear  no  law  or  government. 

I  have  always  found  that  a  joke,  or  anything  that 
makes  them  laugh,  gains  their  confidence  in  a  wonder- 
ful manner.  They  are  astonished  to  hear  you  use  their 
own  language,  and  a  question  or  a  proverb  which  inter- 
ests them  throws  them  off  their  guard  at  once,  and  you 
can  send  them  flying  over  the  place,  searching  out 
inscriptions,  and  bringing  you  antiquities,  in  a  manner 
that  the  Sultan  himself  could  not  command. 

There  were  more  people  among  the  ruins  than  on  my 
former  visits,  owing  to  the  supply  of  water  holding  out, 
while  it  was  exhausted  in  other  villages.  We  led  our 
horses  to  the  water  at  the  west  of  the  town,  and  found 
swarms  of  women  at  the  different  tanks  or  cisterns,  draw- 
ing water.  The  tanks  were  very  numerous,  and  seemed 
to  be  half  cave,  half  well.  The  women  were  partly  gipsies, 
and  partly  from  the  Arabs  in  the  neighbourhood.  They 
were  lightly  clothed  like  the  men,  and  horribly  tattooed. 
They  had  the  white  teeth  of  the  wild  animal,  and  the 
piercing  glance  of  the  basilisk.  Their  speech  resembled 
the  sharp  barking  of  a  dog,  and  as  they  drew  up  their 
skins  of  water  they  screamed  and  swore  at  each  other  like 
fiends.     They  were  a  most  unlovely-looking  set,  who  had 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  271 

seldom  during  their  lives  heard  or  uttered  a  kindly  word, 
and  who  had  not,  so  far  as  we  could  make  out,  one 
attractive  feature ;  and  yet  those  black,  buttered  tresses, 
escaping  down  their  shoulders  from  under  sooty  bands, 
were  eagerly  sought  to  adorn  lovely  brows  in  the  saloons 
of  civilization.  There  was  in  the  town  a  ruffian  who 
watched  those  hideous  harpies  till  they  fell,  and  then, 
vulture-like,  rushed  upon  them  and  tore  off  their  hair  to 
supply  raven  locks  for  the  European  hair-market. 

When  we  attempted  to  continue  our  journey  south-west, 
we  got  inextricably  lost  among  tortuous  mazes  of  lava, 
and  though  we  were  in  the  midst  of  Arabs,  no  one  would 
tell  us  where  the  path  was  without  first  receiving  two 
hashliks  —  over  two  francs.  At  last  a  woman  with  a  rem- 
nant of  the  instinct  of  her  sex,  pointed  in  the  right  direc- 
tion; and  after  dragging  our  horses  up  and  down  black 
waves  of  rock,  that  rang  metallic  under  their  feet,  we 
emerged  on  a  path  flagged  with  broad  stones  worn  slippery 
as  glass.  We  soon  reached  the  coast-line,  and  for  a  mile 
or  so  I  walked  along  the  high  edge  of  Argob,  parallel  with 
my  party,  in  order  to  get  a  better  idea  of  the  strange  and 
awful  district. 

The  lava  lay  in  great,  petrified  waves,  and  these  huge 
waves  were  generally  split  along  the  centre  of  their  ridge, 
and  the  two  sides  falling  away,  left  a  yawning  chasm, 
wide  at  the  top,  but  narrowing  towards  the  bottom,  and 
disclosing  the  heart  of  each  wave.  The  scene  had  a  weird, 
unearthly  appearance.  Here  we  crossed  the  party  that 
had  engaged  to  start  from  Damascus  with  us,  but  were 


2  72  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

being  led  about  through  the  land,  and  past  the  most  im- 
portant ruins,  at  the  will  of  their  dragoman. 

We  coasted  along  the  edge  of  the  Lejah  in  a  south- 
westerly direction,  crossing  broad  bays  which  ended  in 
narrow  creeks,  and  skirting  headlands  with  their  light- 
houses in  ruins.  We  passed,  likewise,  four  considerable 
towns,  with  high  towers,  on  the  coast  of  the  Lejah,  and  a 
number  of  smaller  ruins.  The  country  on  our  right  was 
entirely  under  cultivation,  and  towards  night  we  joined  in 
a  long  string  of  farm  labourers  returning  from  ploughing. 
The  ploughman  generally  rode  a  little  donkey,  carrying 
his  plough  across  the  saddle  before  him,  and  leading  his 
two  oxen  behind.  The  men  were  strong,  healthy,  and 
hearty. 

They  were  going  to  Khubab,  and  so  were  we,  and  we 
swept  along  together.  As  we  entered  Khubab,  we  met  all 
the  youths  of  the  place  drawn  out  in  a  line  to  receive  us, 
headed  by  the  priest,  the  sheikhs,  and  the  schoolmaster. 
As  we  passed,  all  bent  to  the  ground  to  honour  us,  the  holy 
father  lowest  of  all.  It  soon  appeared  that  some  mistake 
had  been  made,  and  that  honours  had  been  given  us  that 
were  not  intended  for  us ;  for  the  sheikh,  an  old  acquaint- 
ance, darted  forward,  and  shook  hands  with  me  in  the 
most  familiar  manner. 

For  the  moment,  Sheikh  Diab  was  the  most  envied  man 
in  Khubab,  for  Lord  Amadhon's  dragoman  had  sent  a 
report  before  that  a  prince  was  coming,  and  the  simple 
people  beheld  with  wonder  and  awe  their  own  sheikh 
shaking  hands  with  the  prince. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  273 

It  was  curious  to  hear  them  telling  one  another  that 
they  felt  assured  from  the  beginning  that  I  had  nothing 
princely  about  my  hat ;  but  when  the  real  scion  of  nobility 
did  come,  his  appearance  impressed  them  so  little,  that 
they  let  him  pass  without  a  nod,  though  they  had 
been  waiting  all  the  evening  to  give  him  a  princely 
reception. 

He  that  would  rule  Easterns  must  not  neglect  appear- 
ances. When  the  Crown  Prince  of  Prussia  visited  Da- 
mascus, he  was  looked  upon  as  of  little  account,  chiefly, 
I  believe,  because  he  did  not  wear  a  crown  on  his  head 
through  the  streets,  and  nothing  seemed  so  inexplicable 
in  that  wonderful  Franco-German  War  as  that  so  quiet- 
looking  a  man  could  be  a  soldier  at  all. 

A  Russian  prince  entered  Damascus  in  princely  trap- 
pings, and  the  effect  was  marvellous.  An  old  Moslem 
who  stood  by  my  side  exclaimed,  "  W'Allah,  such  a  giant ! " 
and  then  he  went  off  into  the  following  soliloquy: 
"Praise  be  to  God  who  raises  up  men  like  themselves 
to  destroy  them."  Of  course  he  meant  the  English, 
whose  mission  in  the  world  is  to  fight  the  Russians 
whenever  the  Sultan  of  Turkey  calls  upon  them  to 
do  so. 


18 


COIN     OF     PHILIP     THE     TETRARCH, 

Struck  at  Csesarea-Philippi,  a.d.  8. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

IV^HUBAB  is  a  large  Christian  village,  built  on  the  two 
•^  *-  marginal  waves  of  the  Lejah.  An  old  inscription 
in  the  neighbouring  village,  Zobeireh,  in  which  there  is  a 
reference  to  Britain,  gives  the  ancient  name  of  this  vil- 
lage, which  was  Habiba.  Khubab,  or  Habiba,  an  entirely 
Christian  village,  under  a  Christian  sheikh,  contrasts 
most  favourably  with  the  places  we  last  visited. 

The  Druzes  at  Burak  are  a  parcel  of  outlaws,  watching 
for  the  police,  or  their  other  natural  enemies,  the  Arabs. 
The  people  of  Musmeih  are  wild  animals  with  some  little 
clothes.  They  have  a  limited  field  for  vicious  practices  — 
nobody  worth  the  killing,  and  nothing  to  steal ;  but  I 
have  reason  to  believe  that  they  have  fair  natural  talents 
for  dastardly  deeds,  which  would  improve  with  oppor- 
tunity and  practice,  for  my  companion  dropped  his  rug 
from  the  saddle,  and  it  disappeared  among  the  rocks 
like  a  flash. 

Khubab  is  an  agricultural  village,  wheeled  round  so 


PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  275 

far  west  from  the  Arabs  as  to  be  comparatively  safe  from 
their  attacks ;  but  sometimes  the  Arabs  sweep  over  their 
fields,  and  leave  them  clean  enough ;  and  sometimes, 
also,  they  gut  and  ruin  the  village.  There  are  a  few 
houses  in  the  village  of  the  best  Hauranic  style,  with 
the  ceiling  slabs  ornamented ;  and  these  are  solid  enough 
to  defy  the  Arabs.  The  villagers  also  hide  their  wheat 
in  pits  (nawawis)  in  the  earth,  which  they  stop,  and 
cover  over  with  dung,  rubbish,  and  stones,  so  that  the 
Arabs  do  not  always  find  their  grain  treasures;  but  they 
sometimes  torture  the  sheikh  to  make  him  disclose  these 
granaries,  and  they  have  refinements  in  cruelty  worthy 
of  the  ancient  inquisitors. 

The  men  of  Khubab  labour  in  the  fields  during  the 
seasons  for  labour,  and,  during  the  remainder  of  the  year, 
cut  and  dress  basaltic  mill-stones,  which  are  rolled  to 
Akka,  and  there  shipped  for  the  Egyptian  market.  The 
women  spin  and  weave  and  attend  to  household  matters, 
and  keep  themselves  comparatively  clean.  One  of  their 
occupations  exclusively  is  kneading  the  cows'  dung  and 
sticking  it  on  the  walls  to  dry  for  fuel.  When  dry,  the 
balls  are  gathered  and  stacked  for  winter  use,  as  is  done 
with  peat  in  Ireland.  There  is  not  a  shop  in  the  town. 
Pedlars  visit  it  with  Manchester  prints  of  the  brightest 
colours,  Egyptian  sugar,  bracelets,  and  other  commodi- 
ties, and  get  wheat,  eggs,  cheese,  and  such  local  products, 
in  return  for  their  merchandise. 

I  proclaimed  that  we  had  books  to  sell,  and  the  whole 
village  turned  out  and  swarmed  to  our  tent.     The  people 


2  76  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

had  a  sufficiency  of  curiosity,  and  curiosity  sometimes 
leads  to  knowledge.  We  had  a  fair  prospect  of  selling 
all  our  books  at  the  first  market;  but  the  schoolmaster 
came  with  a  stick,  and  drove  away  his  pupils,  and  after 
him  the  priest  arrived,  with  great  bluster  and  noise,  and 
forced  his  flock  back  into  the  village.  He  declared  that 
they  had  done  sixty  years  without  our  Bible,  and  they 
would  not  permit  it  to  enter  among  them. 

We  were  startled  to  hear  an  almost  Scripture  expres- 
sion drop  from  his  passionate  lips, — 

"  These  people  have  tut-ned  the  world  upside  down  in 
Beyrout  and  Damascus,  and  they  are  come  here  also." 

It  was  in  vain  I  told  liim  he  was  rejecting  God's  book 
and  Christ's  gospel,  and  mentioned  that  already  he  had 
one  of  our  Bibles  on  the  altar  of  his  church  ;  for  he  was 
wrathful  and  inexorable,  and  he  drove  his  flock  away,  but 
one  of  his  lambs  carried  off  a  Bible  without  paying  for  it. 

The  sheikh  and  another  man  came  to  our  tent  by 
night,  Nicodemus-like,  and  eagerly  bought  two  Bibles ; 
and  a  pretty  little  bride,  Feride,  —  a  rara  avis^  —  who 
had  learned  German,  and  become  a  Protestant,  with  the 
Prussian  Sisters  at  Beyrout,  bought  from  us  a  Bogatz- 
ky's  "  Golden  Treasury  "  ;  but  her  husband,  still  under 
the  yoke  of  the  priest,  compelled  her  to  return  it  on  the 
morrow. 

We  spent  Sunday  at  Khubab,  and  had  a  good  deal  of 
conversation  with  the  people,  for  they  kept  coming  and 
going  in  a  perpetual  stream  all  day.  Their  questions 
and  modes  of  thought  were  very  interesting. 


":i^*~'4-     "     .  ,  ^*fcr 


n 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  277 

During  the  day  we  strolled  up  to  the  top  of  tlie  chief 
ridge,  on  which  the  village  was  built.  We  stopped  beside 
a  little  graveyard  in  which  women  were  swaying  them- 
selves backwards  and  forwards  and  wailing  for  their 
dead.  Each  grave  is  walled  up  with  a  single-stone  wall 
about  four  feet  high,  which  tapers  in  towards  the  toj). 
The  district  is  cut  up  into  little  gardens  and  fields,  and 
walled  around  with  high  walls  which  have  no  entrance. 
But  in  these  enclosures  there  is  neither  soil  nor  shrub  — 
nothing  but  the  bare  grey  stones.  If  they  were  ever 
gardens  or  vineyards,  both  soil  and  roots  have  entirely 
disappeared. 

The  country  about  the  village  is  not  so  rocky  and 
rugged  as  at  Musmeih.  The  greatest  waves  of  the  lava 
stopped  a  mile  east,  leaving  a  ridge-like  formation,  on 
which  stand  two  conspicuous  towns  that  were  finally 
destroyed  by  the  Bedawin  about  six  years  before  our  visit. 

Looking  towards  the  Druze  mountain,  the  great  basaltic 
lake  or  plateau  does  not  appear  so  fearfully  desolate  as 
wheii  seen  from  the  north ;  patches  of  green  with  yellow 
flowers  relieve  the  dreary  scene. 

Between  us  and  Mount  Hermon  there  stretched  a  vast 
level  sea  of  green  growing  corn,  dappled  with  red  fields 
left  fallow ;  and  here  and  there  black  villages  with  white 
domes  and  tall  minarets,  rose  like  islands;  and  conical 
hills  and  low  ranges  of  mountains  prevented  the  green 
flat  sea  from  running  up  sheer  to  the  edge  of  the  mountain. 

Hermon  itself,  streaked  and  zebraed  with  snow,  pre- 
sented from  our  standpoint  one   of  its  finest  side  views. 


278  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

However  modern  vulgarity  may  affect  to  despise  Hermon, 
tor  not  being  the  biggest  mountain  in  the  world,  it  is  by 
far  the  finest  object  in  the  whole  Syrian  landscape ;  and  we 
do  not  wonder,  when  we  view  it  from  all  quarters  of  the 
land,  that  it  impressed  so  deeply  the  minds  of  patriarchs 
and  prophets. 

About  us,  where  we  stood,  the  only  signs  of  vegetation 
were  a  few  patches  of  nettles  and  mallows,  which  grew 
among  the  blasted-looking,  desolate  graves ;  but  there 
were  patches  of  green  down  below  in  the  hollows,  and  as 
we  looked  down  on  the  village,  it  presented  a  cheerful 
appearance  —  girls  trooped  about  in  their  bright  Sunday 
dresses,  and  heads  of  families  lay  about  in  little  grassy 
fields,  with  their  children  tumbled  around  them.  The 
scene  came  as  near  a  picture  of  home  life  in  a  country 
village  as  anything  I  had  seen  in  the  East. 

From  the  point  where  we  stood  we  were  able  to  count 
fourteen  round  towers  in  the  Lejah,  and  a  great  number  of 
mortuary  tombs  resembling  in  a  small  way  the  Palmyra 
towers.  Being  once  detained  a  day  at  Khubab,  in  conse- 
quence of  my  horse  having  lost  a  shoe,  I  visited  the  round 
tower  due  south  of  the  village,  and  succeeded  in  getting 
a  good  photograph  of  it. 

The  tower  stands  near  a  fort  at  a  well.  It  is  built  of 
basalt,  and  tapers  from  the  base.  The  circumference  one 
yard  from  the  ground  is  sixty-eight  feet.  It  has  thirty- 
seven  layers  of  stone  in  it,  the  one  with  the  other  of  which 
would  be  nearly  a  foot  high  each.  The  walls  are  four  feet 
thick  ;  the  height  of  the  door  is  five  feet  five  inches,  and 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


279 


its  width  three  feet  three  inches.  A  central  column  of 
cylindrical  stones  supports  a  stone  loft  at  the  height  of 
fourteen  feet,  and  a  spiral  staircase,  the  stones  of  which 
project  from  the  wall,  and  are  much  worn  by  wear, 
ascends  to  this  loft. 

By  the   Hauran  tower  I  place,  for  comparison,  one  of 
the  Palmyra  mortuary  towere,  which  I  found  to  be  one 


HAURAN   WATCH  TOWER 


PALMYRA  MORTUARY  TOWER. 


hundred  and  eleven  feet  high,  and  to  contain  loculi  for 
four  hundred  and  eighty  bodies. 

On  our  way  back  from  the  tower  we  visited  one  of  the 
ruins  that  are  so  numerous,  and  that  no  one  thinks  worthy 
of  a  visit.  We  chose  Melihat  Hezkin,  inasmuch  as  no 
European,  as  far  as  we  knew,  had  ever  visited  it.  We 
reached  it  on  foot  in  less  than  an  hour,  and  on  our  way  we 
got  both  partridge  and  quail.  We  met  three  women  who 
were  out  gathering  a  kind  of  wild  rape,  which  they  cook 
and  eat.  We  found  the  village  just  like  all  other  Hauran 
towns,  in  a  small  way.     The  doors  and  ceilings  and  win- 


28o  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

dows  were  of  stone.  Each  house,  however,  seemed  to 
have  more  than  the  ordinary  numbei"  of  compartments. 

At  one  corner  of  the  village,  near  the  village  tank  or 
cistern,  was  a  square  tower  forty  or  fifty  feet  high,  with 
a  spiral  staircase  ascending  to  two  stories.  The  upper 
floors  were  broken  down,  but  enough  remained  to  show  the 
character  of  the  building.  The  stones  in  the  narrow  streets 
were  worn  smooth,  and  the  fireplaces  showed  signs  of  much 
use,  but  the  place  had  been  a  long  time  utterly  abandoned. 

At  the  northern  corner,  a  little  modern  square  building 
domed  over  contained  the  grave  of  Sheikh  Hezkin,  cov- 
ered with  a  green  cloth.  Pilgrimages  are  made  to  the 
tomb,  and  each  pilgrim  leaves  a  staff  stuck  into  the  wall 
near  the  grave,  so  that  the  chamber  is  a  magazine  of  staves. 
The  only  sign  of  life  in  the  place  was  a  solitary  dove  that 
flew  out  of  the  only  tree  in  the  village,  which  is  that  in  the 
court  of  the  mosque. 

On  the  7th  of  April  we  started  for  Ezid,  a  town  on 
the  margin  of  the  Lejah  due  south.  The  morning  was 
raw  and  cold,  and  yet  women  and  boys  were  hanging 
about  our  tent.  As  we  worked  our  way  once  more  to  the 
coast-line,  we  only  saw,  of  animate  things,  pensive  don- 
keys, meditating  among  the  black  rocks  —  pictures  of 
long-suffering  misery.  When  we  pushed  out  from  the 
black  shore,  the  ground  became  covered  with  flowers; 
among  others  I  saw  pink  convolvulus,  lilac  mallows, 
yellow-hearted  daisies,  and  scarlet  pheasant's-eyes. 

We  first  passed  through  fenced  and  cultivated  fields, 
much  resembling  parts  in  Ireland,  Scotland  and  Wales,  and 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBJA.  281 

we  soon  emerged  on  the  broad  unfenced  plain,  where  the 
neighbours'  landmarks,  large  black  stones,  show  the  boun- 
daries of  the  different  cultivators.  Tibny  was  in  front, 
on  an  eminence,  like  most  of  the  towns  of  this  region. 
I  galloped  to  the  village,  according  to  my  custom,  in 
advance  of  the  cavalcade,  shouting  or  singing  something 
to  bring  the  people  out  of  their  dens.  I  found  that  the 
most  effective  cry  on  such  occasions  was  "  fresh  haddock  " 
with  a  County  Louth  accent,  and  as  we  were  in  the 
character  of  pedlars,  the  cry  was  not  very  unbecoming. 
In  Druze  villages  we  tried  a  stave  of  the  Druze  war- 
song,  and  it  not  only  brought  the  people  around  us,  but 
put  them  in  good  humour,  as  they  were  no  doubt  charmed 
with  our  style  of  singing  it. 

Most  of  the  villagers  came  out  to  meet  us,  and  saluta- 
tions over,  I  pointed  to  the  colporteur,  who  was  opening 
his  boxes,  and  told  them  that  he  had  books  for  sale,  God's 
books,  and  explanations  of  them  by  good  and  learned 
men.  I  then  took  an  armful  of  books,  and  leaving  the 
crowd  around  the  boxes  with  the  colporteur,  I  literally 
took  a  walk  over  the  town,  jumping  from  roof  to  roof, 
and  saluting  the  people  down  in  their  courts,  till  I  had 
a  sufficient  crowd  around  me ;  and,  then  sitting  down  on 
an  aged  stone,  I  read  them  passages  that  seemed  to  turn 
up  by  accident.  I  thus  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the 
whole  town,  and  of  offering  our  books  to  every  soul  in 
it.  Sometimes  the  crowd  became  menacing,  and  then 
I  became  aggressive,  and  questioned  them  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  turn  their  attention  from  me  to  themselves. 


282  PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 

When  it  became  a  case  of  "  throwing  pearls  before  swine," 
I  commenced  to  purchase  their  old  coins  and  medals, 
like  other  travellei's. 

Frankness  and  good  temper  and  firmness  carry  one 
safely  along,  while  a  little  swaggering,  or  assumption  of 
mystery,  would  get  us  turned  out  of  the  village,  and  per- 
haps something  more.  I  always  returned  to  the  col- 
porteur with  an  enormous  following  of  savages  —  climbing 
over  walls  and  houses,  and  swarming  out  of  lanes  and 
dens,  and  all  converging  towards  the  books. 

Here  a  widow,  with  impressive  eagerness,  bought  a 
Bible  for  her  son,  who  could  read,  and  she  not  only  paid 
for  it,  but  poured  blessings  upon  us  for  bringing  it  to  her. 
"  My  son  will  read  it  to  me,  and  I  shall  learn  everything 
for  myself,"  she  exclaimed. 

Tibny,  like  most  of  the  other  towns,  consists  of  two 
parts.  The  Roman  official  part,  temple  and  all,  is  in 
ruins.  The  native  inhabited  part  is  on  a  mound  of  ruins, 
and  is  of  more  recent  construction. 

Leaving  Tibny,  we  passed  a  number  of  men  ploughing 
up  the  fallow  ground.  They  refused  to  buy  our  books, 
on  the  plea  that  they  had  no  money;  but  when  I  offered 
them  free  they  had  no  desire  to  possess  them.  Five 
other  villages  similar  to  Tibny  lay  along  our  path.  At 
Muhejjeh  there  are  long  Greek  inscriptions,  and  pieces 
of  Greek  sculpture ;  but  the  inhabitants  were  the  most 
surly  Moslems  we  had  met.  On  the  principle  of  offering 
our  books  to  all,  we  urged  them  to  buy,  taking  no  notice 
of  their  churlishness. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  283 

The  women  of  Muhejjeh  have  their  legs  tattooed  in 
pretty  patterns,  so  that  they  seem  to  have  on  blue  open- 
work stockings,  through  which  the  white  skin  appears. 
They  wear  their  petticoats  short,  and  tucked  up,  in  order 
to  show  their  ornamented  legs. 

Shukra,  in  the  midst  of  a  red  plain,  turned  out  to  be 
a  Christian  village,  and  we  could  see  that  Christianity, 
even  in  a  very  degraded  form,  has  a  thew  and  sinew  that 
renders  it  superior  to  Islamism.  The  people  seemed  alive 
and  eager  to  see  and  know.  I  found  such  people,  as  a 
rule,  better  than  their  priest.  They  howjht  books,  but  the 
old  priest  Btole  one. 

I  watched  the  priest  with  much  interest  stealing  the 
book,  but  did  not  interfere  with  him,  as  I  knew  that  he 
could  put  an  end  to  our  selling  if  he  chose.  In  the 
accomplishment  of  his  little  purpose  he  bought  a  Psalm- 
book,  and  shuffled  it  and  a  Bible  together,  until  he 
thought  no  one  saw  him,  when  he  slipped  the  Bible  to  his 
wife,  and  she  carried  it  off  home  under  her  apron.  When 
he  had  the  Bible  secured,  he  pretended  to  discover  mis- 
takes in  the  Psalm-book,  and  got  back  his  money. 

Shukra  has  also  its  Corinthian  capitals  lying  about,  and 
several  Greek  inscriptions  built  into  the  walls  with  the 
wrong  side  down.  It  has  all  the  Hauranic  characteristics 
of  the  other  towns,  and  from  its  modern  walls  peep  the 
eloquent  fragments  of  a  higher  civilization  and  more 
prosperous  times. 

Bearing  to  the  left,  we  entered  Ezrd  over  a  horrible 
path,  partly  the  Roman  road,  and  partly  the  black  basaltic 


284  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

rock  worn  smooth  and  slippery  as  polished  steel.  Ezrd  is 
a  large  ruin,  situated  at  the  base  of  a  rocky  promontory, 
on  the  south-west  corner  of  the  Lejah.  This  ruin  has  re- 
cently been  identified  as  the  Edrei  of  Og,  king  of  Bashan, 
but  without  sufficient  reason,  and  contrary  to  overwhelm- 
ing evidence. 

Edrei  of  Og  was  well  known  to  the  Greeks  and  Romans 
under  the  name  Adraa,  and  this  rendering  of  the  Hebrew 
name  in  Greek  corresponds  to  the  rendering  of  other 
Shemitic  names  by  the  same  people,  especially  in  the 
bilingual  inscriptions  of  Palmyra.^ 

In  Roman  times  Adraa  (Edrei)  was  one  of  the  chief 
towns  of  the  Arabian  province,  and,  like  Bosra,  had 
liberty  to  coin  its  own  money,  and  I  have  in  my  cabinet 
several  impeiial  Greek  coins  struck  at  Adraa.^ 

Now  we  are  left  in  no  hesitation  as  to  the  position  of 
Adraa  (Edrei.)  The  Bible  declares  it  to  have  been  on 
"  the  way  to  Bashan "  for  an  army  marching  from  Hesh- 
bon.^  Eusebius  places  it  on  the  road  to  Capitolias  and 
Gadara,  twenty-five  miles  from  Bosra,  and  the  Peutinger 
tables  place  it  twenty-four  miles  from  Bosra,  in  the  same 
direction. 

On  one  of  my  visits  to  Adra'at  I  approached  it  from 
Bosra  along  the  route  indicated  by  Eusebius  and  the 
Peutinger  tables,  and  after  a  march  of  twenty-four  or 
twenty-five    miles  we  came  upon   the  extensive   ruins  of 

1  De  Vogiife,  Inscr.  Palmyr.,  p.  4. 

2  On  the  reverse  of  one  is  the  uncouth  figure  of  an  enormous  giant,  a 
lingering  tradition  of  Og. 

3  Deut.  iii.  1. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  285 

Edrei  at  the  place  where  our  path  was  crossed  by  '•  the 
way  to  Bashan." 

Accompanied  by  Dr.  Thomson,  the  author  of  The  Land 
and  the  Book,  I  started  from  Bosra  on  April  10th,  and 
proceeded  by  a  track  parallel  to  the  Roman  Road,  which 
runs  straight  as  an  arrow  from  Bosra  to  Adra'at. 

The  country  through  which  we  passed  was  exceedingly 
fertile  and  well  cultivated.  Vast  spaces  green  with  corn 
alternated  with  immense  tracts  red  in  fallow.  Furrows 
a  mile  in  length  were  turned  by  the  plough  in  the  basaltic 
ash,  of  which  the  soil  is  largely  composed. 

On  our  path,  and  to  right  and  left,  there  were  many 
agricultural  villages  which  marked,  by  decaying  ruins, 
the  sites  of  important  towns,  and  there  were  many  rocky 
patches  and  basaltic  outcrops  here  and  there ;  but  as  we 
stood  high  in  our  stirrups  and  gazed  around  us,  we 
seemed  to  be  steering  through  a  vast  sea  of  waving  corn, 
and  villages  and  rocks  appeared  as  black  islets  in  the 
green  ocean. 

Adra'at  we  found  beautifully  situated  on  a  rising 
ground,  enfolded  in  a  bend  of  the  Wady  Zeidy.  At 
Jisr  et-Taiyebeh,  a  river,  flowing  in  the  Wady  Zeidy, 
crossed  our  path  from  right  to  left,  ran  by  our  side  on 
the  left,  sometimes  quite  close  to  our  path  and  sometimes 
at  the  distance  of  a  mile ;  but  at  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from 
Adra'at  it  recrossed  our  path  from  left  to  right  and 
flowed  in  a  beautiful  curve  round  the  north  of  the 
town. 

During  the  whole  journey  I  inquired  from  every  person 


286  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

we  met  the  name  of  the  town  on  the  hill  to  which  we 
were  going. 

"What  is  the  name  of  that  town?"  I  would  ask, 
gently,  pointing  to  the  place.  Invariably  the  Bedawin 
would  answer,  "Adra'at." 

As  if  I  had  not  heard  distinctly,  I  would  ask  the 
question  again  and  again  in  a  higher  key,  and  they  would 
bawl  out  again  and  again,  aspirating  every  letter  until 
the  word  might  have  torn  their  teeth  out,  "  A-d-r-a'-at." 

Almost  as  uniformly  the  Fellahin  called  it  Der4,  but 
as  the  Bedawin  always  preserve  the  oldest  pronunciation, 
and  their  rendering  agrees  with  that  of  Abu  el-Fida, 
Edrisi,  and  the  Arab  geographers  generally,  I  propose  to 
follow  it  in  this  book. 

We  had  a  discussion  regarding  the  right  name  of  the 
place  on  the  bridge  below  the  town  as  hot  as  any  that 
has  been  waged  by  Western  scholars  over  the  name.  A 
great  caravan  bearing  wheat  to  Akka  was  passing  over 
the  bridge  as  we  approached  it.  The  drivers  in  charge 
of  the  kuji  were  Bedawin,  but  a  number  of  the  Fellahin 
to  whom  the  wheat  belonged  were  in  the  party. 

"  What  town  is  that?  "  I  said  to  a  Bedawi,  as  I  handed 
him  a  few  dates  from  my  pocket. 

"Adra'at!"  shouted  the  Bedawi.  "Der^!"  shouted 
the  Fellahin.  Then  there  arose  Babel  on  the  bridge, 
and  we  could  occasionally  catch  fragments  of  sounds 
— such  as  "  Ibn  el-Kelb"  (son  of  a  dog),  "Adra'at," 
"  Majnoun "  (idiot),  "  Dera,"  etc.  In  fact  the  sons  of  the 
desert   were    almost    as    rude    and    noisv   as    critics    and 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  287 

controversialists  at  home,  and  they  sought  to  settle  the 
matter  in  dispute  by  strength  of  assertion  like  our  own 
positivists. 

While  the  controversy  raged  we  forded  the  river  with 
difficulty,  and  ascended  the  sloping  sides  of  the  green 
hill  to  Adra'at.  We  passed  several  Bedawi  tents  on  the 
acclivity,  with  men  and  children  squatting  at  their  doors. 
The  people  of  the  town  were  at  fii-st  sullen,  especially 
the  Moslems ;  but  when  they  found  we  could  talk  their 
language  they  became  more  pleasant,  and  were  ready  to 
sell  us  anything  they  had. 

Adra'at  stands  in  the  midst  of  green  and  beautiful 
rolling  hills.  It  must  always  have  been  a  great  agricul- 
tural centre,  and  it  is  still  the  most  populous  town  in 
Bashan.  As  it  is  situated  on  the  edge  of  a  most  fertile 
district,  it  has  been  more  constantly  occupied  than  Ezrd 
in  the  Lejah,  and  hence  it  is  smothered  with  great  heaps 
of  dung,  which  have  grown  up  higher  than  the  houses  and 
over  them.  The  land  needed  no  manure,  and  all  refuse 
remained  where  it  was  first  flung. 

Adra'at  is  a  town  of  four  tiers.'  The  modern  habitations 
are  on  the  top,  and  next  to  them  are  the  Roman  founda- 
tions, and  beneath  on  the  chalk  are  the  ruins  of  Og's  city. 
But  below  all  there  is  a  subterranean  city,  with  houses 
and  streets  excavated  out  of  the  solid  rock.  I  explored 
some  of  the  passages,  but  as  the  work  was  both  dirty  and 
dangerous,  and  as  I  had  no  change  of  garments  with  me, 
I  thought  it  better  to  be  content  with  Wetzstein's  de- 
scription  till   such    times    as    the    Palestine   Exploration 


288  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

Fund   could   take   up   a   thorough    investigation   of    the 
underground  city.^ 

A  small  portion  of  the  ancient  Adra'at  is  now  covered 
by  the  modern  village.  We  explored  the  place,  keeping 
along  the  tops  of  the  great  dung  heaps  and  looking  down 
into  the  squalid  dwellings.  There  are  still  many  ancient 
ruins  which  have  not  yet  been  engulfed  by  the  ever-grow- 
ing refuse.  There  is  a  curious  square  minaret  of  the 
truncated  pyramid  pattern.  There  is  a  large  mosque 
which  seems  to  be  a  transformed  monastic  building,  and 
at  the  southern  end  of  the  rectangular  enclosure  one  sees 
the  apse  of  the  church,  the  chord  of  which  was  thirty-eight 
yards.  There  are  also  the  remains  of  ancient  baths  and 
many  other  ruins  which  testify  to  the  civilization  and 
luxury  of  the  place  at  a  remote  period.  All  the  structures 
appear  to  have  been  built  from  stones  rifled  from  older 
buildings.  We  had  our  best  view,  however,  from  Tell 
Karak,  which  stands  liigher  than  Adra'at,  and  formed  the 
citadel  or  north-eastern  suburb  of  the  city.  We  saw  the 
aqueduct,  bearing  the  name  of  Pharaoh,  by  which  the  water 
was  brought  from  Dilly,  and  carried  across  Wady  Zeidy 
by  a  bridge  of  five  circular  spans,  now  partially  in  ruins. 


1  Merrill,  in  his  interesting  book  "  East  of  the  Jordan  "  —  London,  1881, 
pp.  360-352  —  has  translated  Dr.  Wetzstein's  description;  and  Mr. 
Schumacher,  in  his  work  "Across  the  Jordan  " — published  by  the  Palestine 
Exploration  Fund,  1886,  pp.  1.36-144  —  has  given  a  minute  description 
with  plans  of  an  imderground  exploration  carried  out  by  him.  He  does 
not,  however,  seem  to  have  come  across  the  part  explored  by  Wetzsteiu. 
Nor  did  I. 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA.  289 

The  bridge,  though  ancient,  was  also  made  from  odds  and 
ends  taken  from  other  edifices. 

We  spent  some  hours  on  Sunday  reading  on  the  top  of 
Tell  Karak.  A  large  group  of  natives  sat  open-mouthed 
around  us  as  we  read  in  their  own  tongue  the  twenty-two 
passages  of  the  Bible  in  which  Og,  the  king  of  Bashan,  is 
referred  to.  As  we  read  and  looked  at  the  natural  features 
of  the  landscape  around  us,  the  whole  scene  became  vivid 
before  us.  "  And  they  turned  and  went  up  by  the  way  of 
Bashan :  and  Og,  the  king  of  Bashan,  went  out  against 
them,  he  and  all  his  people  to  the  battle  at  Edrei."  ^ 

The  Israelites,  flushed  with  their  victory  over  Sihon, 
king  of  the  Amorites,  poured  down  the  sloping  sides  of 
the  Zulmeh  Hills  from  the  south-west,  and  on  "the  way 
of  Bashan,"  at  Edrei,  gained  a  decisive  victory  over  King 
Og,  who  dwelt  at  Ashtaroth  and  Edrei,  and  reigned  in 
Mount  Hermon  and  Salcah,  and  in  all  Bashan.  .  .  ."  ^ 

It  is  clear  from  the  narrative  that  the  great  battle  was 
not  fought  in  Bashan,  but  on  the  way  to  Bashan.  "  Then 
we  turned  and  went  up  the  way  to  Bashan  :  and  Og  the 
king  of  Bashan  came  out  against  us,  he  and  all  his  people, 
to  battle  at  Edrei."  ^ 

As  we  read  these  and  kindred  passages  on  the  summit 
of  the  old  citadel  of  Adra'at,  we  had  no  room  for  even  a 
doubt  that  we  were  in  the  very  centre  of  the  ancient 
battle-field,  on  which  the  kingdom  of  Bashan  was  won  for 
the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh.  Og's  two  capitals  were  Edrei 
and  Ashtaroth,  and  he  reigned  in  Salcah  and  Hermon  and 

1  Numb.  xxi.  33.  2  Joshua  xlii.  11,  12.  «  Deut.  iii.  1. 

19 


290  PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 

in  all  Bashan.  The  inspired  writer  might  have  stood 
where  we  stood  when  writing  his  narrative,  so  vivid  is  his 
description.  To  the  south-east  Salcah  (Sulkhad),  its 
castle  erected  on  the  crater  of  an  extinct  volcano,  domi- 
nated the  district.  Far  to  the  north-west  towered  the 
lofty  Hermon,  snow-clad  to  its  base.  Between  these  two 
lofty  landmarks  stretched  the  kingdom  of  Bashan  with 
the  threescore  cities  of  Jair. 

Og's  two  capitals  were  Edrei  and  Ashtaroth.  From 
Edrei  he  could  see  the  lofty  extremities  of  his  kingdom. 
But  where  was  Ashtaroth?  Standing  on  the  highest  tops 
of  Tell  Karak,  I  asked  the  crowd  of  Arabs  who  surrounded 
me  the  names  of  the  tells  in  view.  Beginning  on  the 
eastern  horizon  and  sweeping  round  the  north  to  the  west, 
they  pointed  out  Tell  'Arar,  Tell  el-Faras,  Tell  Abu  Nida, 
Tell  el-Jumna,  Tell  el-Jabia,  Tell  el-Harrah,  and  a  score 
of  other  tells  which  were  either  extinct  volcanoes  or  arti- 
ficial mounds. 

One  of  the  tells  mentioned  in  the  general  summary  was 
Tell  Ashtarah.  I  did  not  affect  any  surprise  when  I  heard 
the  name,  but  I  said  quietly,  "  Where  is  Tell  Ash'areh  ?  " 

Half  a  dozen  voices  shouted  out  at  once,  "  There  is  Tell 
Ash'areh,  but  yonder  away  beyond  is  Tell  Ashtarah."  As 
I  stood  on  the  highest  point  of  Edrei,  I  could  distinctly 
see  not  only  the  remote  boundaries  of  Bashan  but  also 
the  Mound  of  Ashtaroth  towering  from  eighty  to  one 
hundred  feet  above  the  surrounding  plain. 

Edrei  was  Og's  great  industrial  and  political  capital, 
but  Ashtaroth  was  his  sacred  and  ecclesiastical  capital, 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  291 

and  the  sites  and  ruins  accord  with  tliis  view.  Edrei 
stood  on  the  cross-road  and  meeting-ph\ce  of  industry 
and  commerce,  and  the  ruins  tell  of  large  resources  and 
great  prosperity.  Ashtaroth  stood  on  a  sacred  mound, 
apart  from  the  highways  of  secular  life,  and  the  scattered 
ruins  and  foundations  on  Tell  Ashtarah  are  such  as  might 
be  expected  in  connection  witli  the  woi-ship  of  the  local 
deity. 

In  contrast  with  these  obvious  landmarks  of  the  ancient 
Edrei,  let  us  look  at  the  three  reasons  given  for  identifying 
Ezr4  of  the  Lejah  as  the  City  of  Og. 

First :  The  situation.  It  occupies  an  "  impregnable 
site,"  whereas  "  Adra'at  lies  in  the  open  country." 

To  this  we  reply,  that  the  city  Bosra  vi^as  in  the  open 
country  too,  and  in  the  open  country  became  much  more 
great  and  famous  than  Edrei.  Besides,  King  Og  was 
strong  enough  to  live  in  a  city  in  the  plain.  And  when 
the  Israelites  "went  up  the  way  to  Bashan"  (Deut.  iii.  1), 
Og  did  not  retreat  to  some  impregnable  stronghold,  but  went 
out  to  meet  them  on  their  march,  confident  of  victory. 

Second :  The  antiquity  of  the  massive  tvalls  of  the  dwell- 
ings. The  chief  advocate  of  this  theory  acknowledges 
that  the  buildings  may  be  "  as  old  at  least  as  the  Roman 
dominion"! 

The  reply  to  this  is  obvious.  Roman  ruins,  however 
massive,  cannot  be  taken  in  evidence  in  the  identification 
of  the  city  of  Og,  king  of  Bashan. 

Third:  The  correspondence  of  the  Arabic  name  to  the 
Hebrew  name  Edrei.     So  far  as  this  argument  goes,  it  tells 


292  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

in  favour  of  Adra'at,  which  is  practically  the  same  as  the 
Hebrew  name. 

It  was  not,  therefore,  up  among  the  rocky  fastnesses  of 
Bashan  that  the  giant  leader  and  his  host  were  overcome 
by  the  hosts  of  the  Lord,  but  on  the  plains,  as  the 
Israelites  "went  up  the  way  to  Bashan." 

We  must  not,  however,  overlook  the  testimony  of  the 
ancient  dwellers  in  these  parts,  for  their  vanity  often  led 
them  to  write  the  name  of  their  city  in  conjunction  with 
their  own  names.  Thus  "  I,  Smith,"  or  "  We,  the  Smiths 
of  such  and  such  a  place,  erect  this  monument  at  our  own 
expense,"  etc.  On  this  question  the  evidence  of  ancient 
Smith  is  conclusive.  For  he  declares,  with  cutting  em- 
phasis and  frequent  repetition,  that  the  name  of  the  place 
in  Greek  and  Roman  times  was  not  Edhra  or  Adraa,  but 
Zorava.  The  name  of  the  city  Zorava  stands  as  con- 
spicuous as  a  signboard  on  two  large  stones  near  the 
minaret,  and  engraved  on  the  walls  of  the  two  churches 
—  St.  Elias  and  St.  George. 

Og,  king  of  Bashan,  was  one  of  our  earliest  and  tallest 
friends.  He  and  his  wondrous  bedstead  had  a  large  place 
in  our  imaginations  ere  we  heard  of  "Jack  the  Giant- 
Killer  "  or  "  Giant  Despair."  We  owed  his  giantship  a 
small  debt  of  gratitude,  and  we  have  now  paid  it,  by 
restoring  our  tall  and  ancient  friend  to  his  own  city  and 
rightful  inheritance.^ 

1  In  this  question  I  agi'ee  with  Burckhardt,  Wetzstein,  and  Wadding- 
ton.  The  invaluable  work  of  the  latter  is  conclusive  on  this  subject,  but 
it  is  unfortunately  beyond  the  reach  of  the  public. 


COIN    OF    HEKOU    THK    GKEAT. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 


I  ^ZRA  is  an  extensive  ruin  three  or  four  miles  in 
■^ — '  circumference.  Some  of  the  buildings  are  very 
massive  and  look  very  old,  as  they  are  half-buried  in 
accumulated  rubbish ;  but  when  one  sees  in  a  massive 
wall  a  Greek  inscription  wrong  side  up,  showing  that  it 
was  taken  from  some  other  building,  he  rationally  con- 
cludes that  the  structure  is  not  older  than  the  ruin  from 
which  its  literary  ornaments  were  rifled. 

Probably  the  most  interesting  edifice  in  Ezrd  is  the 
church  of  St.  George.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  Christian 
structures  in  the  world.  From  an  inscription  we  learn 
that  the  church  was  erected  in  410  of  the  Bostrian  era, 
corresponding  to  515  a.d.  It  owed  its  construction  to 
John  Diomede.  He  built  it  on  the  site  of  a  pagan  temple, 
and  dedicated  it  to  St.  George,  who  appeared  to  him,  not 
in  a  dream  or  vision,  but  in  reality.  The  tomb  of  St. 
George,  containing  his  bones,  is  in  the  church,  and  is  an 
object  of  veneration  to  Moslems  as  well  as  to  Christians. 


294  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

The  form  of  the  church  is  that  of  an  octagon  described 
within  a  square.  Eight  piers  support  the  lofty  dome, 
which  has  an  external  gallery  running  round  it.  This 
church  of  St.  George  was  built  after  the  pattern  of  the 
church  at  Antioch,  which  was  the  first  octagonal  church 
ever  erected,  and  dates  from  the  time  of  Constantine. 

As  we  pitched  our  tent,  we  were  joined  by  the  Greek 
priest,  who,  probably,  had  the  true  succession  from  the 
Greek  priest,  his  predecessor,  who  ran  away  with  Burck- 
hardt's  money.  He  showed  a  disposition  to  take  limited 
views  of  European  society  through  the  small  openings 
of  our  tent.  When  admitted,  he  told  a  harrowing  tale  of 
Moslem  persecution  and  murder,  which  broke  down  under 
examination.  He  was  a  very  ignorant  and  unclean  priest, 
and  a  very  importunate  beggar,  and  a  very  disagreeable 
man  in  every  way. 

The  inhabitants  of  tlie  place  were  about  half  Moslem 
and  half  Christian.  The  Moslems  of  the  place  were  sullen 
and  morose,  but  I  visited  them  all,  notwithstanding.  The 
Christians  were  keen  and  active,  and  they  all  visited  us. 
As  a  rule,  the  men  of  Ezrd  are  tall  and  well  made,  and  the 
women  would  be  handsome  but  for  the  tattoo  marks  on 
their  faces.  The  children  are  very  beautiful,  and  the  old 
women  are  simply  hideous.  Several  villanous-looking 
characters,  probably  the  same  who  made  the  murderous 
attack  on  Porter,  were  hanging  about  the  camp,  on  pre- 
tence of  looking  at  our  books ;  and  they  became  very 
much  interested  in  the  books  when  we  watched  them, 
but   as    they  held   the   wrong  side  of   the   books   up,  it 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  295 

may  be  presumed  that  they  were  not  profiting  very 
much. 

We  were  informed  that  we  might  expect  to  be  robbed 
during  the  night,  as  the  caves  about  the  village  were 
infested  with  robbers.  Our  muleteers,  though  unarmed, 
threatened  loudly,  and  in  the  most  emphatic  language,  that 
if  any  one  appeared  during  the  night,  they  would  blow 
them  into  a  thousand  atoms.  I  showed  my  gun  as  a 
curiosity,  and  the  rapidity  of  its  fire,  twenty  shots  a  minute, 
was  very  impressive,  and  probably  helped  to  secure  us  an 
undisturbed  night. 

We  left  Ezr4  by  a  path  at  right  angles  to  the  one  by 
which  we  entered,  and  crossed  the  promontory  due  east 
in  the  direction  of  Jebel  Kuleib.  The  road  was  similar  to 
that  by  which  we  entered,  the  black  surface  of  the  rock 
being  worn  smooth  by  traffic,  till  it  had  a  metallic  polish, 
and  there  were  here  and  there,  especially  in  the  hollows, 
fragments  of  the  Roman  pavement,  polished  and  slippery 
also  by  much  wear. 

In  our  descent  we  met  several  very  fine-looking  village 
women,  who  would  have  been  counted  handsome  in  any 
country  but  for  the  horrible  blue  tattoo  ornaments  worked 
on  their  faces  and  lips.  Here  also  we  got  our  supjjly  of 
partridge  for  the  day. 

In  twenty-five  minutes  we  reached  the  bay  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  promontory,  and  launched  once  more 
on  the  vast  green  sea,  with  the  indented  and  ruin-crowned 
coast  of  the  Lejah,  or  Argob,  on  our  left.  After  a  lovely 
sail  of  two  hours,  we  turned  in  to  the  left,  behind  a  head- 


296  PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 

land,  to  visit  Busr  el-Hariry.  We  reached  the  ruin  over 
an  execrable  road,  and  found  it  scattered  over  the  two 
sides  of  a  wady. 

The  ruins  Avere  extensive,  ancient,  and  massive,  and  con- 
tained, as  usual,  many  Greek  inscriptions.  We  found  the 
women  at  the  cisterns,  but  the  water  was  so  exhausted 
that  we  could  scarcely,  even  by  paying  for  it,  get  enough 
for  our  horses. 

Both  men  and  women  surrounded  us  here  with  the  pale 
assassin  faces  we  saw  in  Damascus,  and  gazed  at  us  in  the 
calm  silence  of  suppressed  fanaticism;  and  there  was 
lightning  in  those  pale,  clouded  brows,  but  lest  it  should 
dart  forth  on  us,  we  drew  their  attention  from  ourselves 
by  urging  them  to  buy  books.  The  only  civil  man  in  the 
place  was  the  old  green-turbaned  keeper  of  the  mosque, 
which  was  the  most  conspicuous  object  among  the  ruins. 
He  held  our  horses,  and  permitted  us  to  copy  all  the 
inscriptions,  and  we  rewarded  him. 

Quitting  Busr  el-Hariry  without  regret,  we  embarked 
once  more  on  a  green  sea  of  "poppy-growing  corn."  We 
passed  Dur,  a  large  village,  with  a  high  square  tower 
standing  at  a  distance  from  the  houses,  and  we  saw  a  num- 
ber of  smaller  places  of  the  ordinary  Hauranic  type.  We 
had  here  a  typical  Moslem  for  travelling  companion.  He 
was  an  intelligent  ploughmaker,  and  Ave  had  conversation 
with  him  on  many  subjects.  His  theory  about  the 
Koran  was  that  it  has  superseded  all  other  revelations; 
and  he  added,  of  books  in  general,  that  they  are  an  im- 
pertinence to  both  God  and  man,  as  the  Koran  contains 


PALMYRA    AND   ZENOBIA.  297 

all  knowledge.  He  was  the  first  Ilauran  Moslem  we  had 
met  who  did  not  seem  preternaturally  stolid. 

I  hope  my  readers  will  pardon  the  use  of  nautical  phra- 
seology thus  far,  for  I  could  not  divest  myself  of  the  feel- 
ing that  I  was  sailing  along  near  the  tide  line,  with  a  black, 
rugged  coast  on  my  left,  and  a  vast  green  sea  on  my 
right.  Indeed,  my  companion,  who  was  more  of  a  geologist 
than  myself,  suggested  that  the  molten  flood  may  have 
been  poured  out  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  ere  the 
shallow  sea  had  retreated,  and  hence  the  horribly  con- 
torted forms  into  which  the  seething  mass  finally  settled 
down. 

We  had  now  coasted  round  more  than  half  the  well- 
defined  border  of  the  Lejah,  and  at  midday  we  turned 
inland  north-east  to  Nejran.  When  I  had  last  approached 
Nejran  a  battle  was  going  on  within  its  walls.  We  heard 
the  guns  and  the  tumult  of  battle,  and  turned  away,  and 
on  the  morrow  heard  the  result  in  killed  and  wounded. 
The  wonderful  unanimity  of  the  Druzes,  which  is  much 
applauded  in  books,  is  less  the  fruit  of  religious  principle 
than  the  result  of  external  pressure  from  their  enemies. 

We  entered  Nejran  through  a  savage  wilderness  of 
gloomy  rocks.  We  found  the  town  half  in  ruins,  and  the 
population  half  Druze  and  half  Christian.  The  Druze 
sheikh,  Fendy  Abu  Fakhr,  gave  us  a  hearty  welcome. 
He  led  us  to  an  open  veranda  covered  with  mats,  and 
spread  a  felt  rug  on  the  ground.  Then  he  ordered  up 
Idban  in  a  lordly  bowl,  and  we  all  three  sat  down  on  the 
rug   and   cemented  friendship  by  eating  together.     The 


298  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

sheikh  called  up  his  little  son  to  kiss  our  hands,  but  we 
refused  to  allow  him  to  do  so,  on  the  ground  that  we 
were  Christianity  teachere ;  but  in  the  meantime  the 
native  Christians  came  hurrying  in  to  see  us,  and  on 
entering  the  veranda,  they  all,  even  the  old  men,  kissed 
the  hand  of  the  sheikh's  son,  though  he  was  only  a  child 
of  seven  years  old. 

It  was  humiliating  to  see  the  manner  in  which  the 
Christians  cringed  before  the  Druzes.  They  immediately, 
however,  fell  fiercely  on  us  for  calling  ourselves  Chris- 
tians, and  eating  in  Lent,  which  gave  us  a  fine  opportunity 
to  give  them  a  lecture  by  way  of  self-defence. 

A  tall  lady,  whom  we  took  to  be  the  sheikh's  wife,  acted 
as  our  hostess,  and  to  her  we  gave  our  fee ;  but  discover- 
ing that  she  was  not  the  sheikh's  wife,  we  paid  backshish 
over  again,  for  we  found  that  we  were  always  more 
welcome  where  we  paid  our  way.  The  lady,  however,  was 
so  different  from  all  the  other  women  that  we  had  seen 
in  the  Hauran  that  she  deserves  a  passing  notice.  She 
was  dressed  in  a  long  blue  skirt  reaching  down  to  her 
feet,  and  over  it  a  blue  calico  robe,  lined  with  red,  which 
she  folded  back  to  let  the  red  appear.  She  wore  great 
coarse  boots,  reaching  half  way  to  her  knees,  and  a  black 
handkerchief  on  her  head,  over  which  she  had  a  turban 
of  red  and  green ;  and  encircling  her  brow,  and  around 
her  head,  she  had  strings  of  gold  coins.  She  was  tall 
and,  slender,  in  contrast  with  the  thick,  stumpy  Druze 
women.  Her  face  was  long  and  pale,  her  forehead  high, 
her  features  well  cut  and  very  animated  when  she  spoke. 


PALMYRA    AND  ZENOBIA.  299 

Her  eyes,  dark  as  a  gazelle's,  shot  from  under  artificially 
arched  brows,  and  the  arches  were  magnified  by  care- 
fully applied  pigments.  She  carried  in  her  hand  a  clieny 
pipe  with  amber  mouth-piece,  and  worked  over  with  a 
filagree  of  gold  thread.  Every  one  seemed  to  treat  her 
with  the  greatest  deference,  and  her  will  was  law  at  the 
sheikh's  board. 

When  she  saw  me  buying  old  coins,  she  asked  me  to  go 
with  her  and  she  would  sell  me  a  few.  Instead,  however, 
of  leading  the  way  into  the  sheikh's  house  as  I  ex- 
pected, or  to  some  house  in  the  village,  she  marched 
straight  out  of  the  town,  and  for  the  fii-st  time  I  found 
she  was  not  the  sheikh's  wife.  I  followed  her  through 
labyrinths  of  congealed  lava,  not  without  some  mis- 
givings ;  but  I  had  my  revolver  with  me,  and  at  worst  I 
could  make  a  good  race  back  to  the  village.  Nor  would 
my  Druze  friends  allow  me  to  be  drawn  into  an  ambush. 

About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  town  we  reached  a 
solitary  tent  pitched  on  a  little  patch  of  green  among  the 
dismal  rocks.  She  invited  me  into  her  "house  of  hair" 
with  the  vivacity  of  a  Frenchwoman ;  and  though  my 
curiosity  was  roused  to  the  highest  pitch,  a  vision  of 
strong-minded  women  from  Jezebel  to  Lady  Macbeth  rose 
up  before  me,  and  I  felt  more  comfortable  standing  out- 
side and  peeping  into  her  tent  after  her.  From  what  I 
saw  I  concluded  that  she  lived  in  this  tent  entirely  alone, 
but  neither  from  herself  nor  from  the  villagers  was  I  able 
to  learn  anything  of  this  remarkable  woman. 

She  soon  emerged  with  a  handful  of  old  coins  —  Kufic 


300  PALMYRA   AND   ZENOBIA. 

and  Constantines,  and  Remus  and  Romulus  tugging  at 
the  wolf;  but  among  the  common  rubbish  I  found  one 
which  is  a  real  treasure,  and  especially  useful  in  the  iden- 
tification of  Edrei.  It  is  the  imperial  Greek  coin,  referred 
to  above,  struck  at  Adraa.  There  is  a  huge,  ill-shapen 
giant  on  the  reverse  of  this  coin  that  was  struck  in  the 
city  of  Og.  He  bears  in  his  left  hand  a  club  like  "  a 
weaver's  beam,"  and  in  his  right  hand  a  skull.  One  of 
his  feet  also  seems  to  rest  on  a  skull. 


COIN   OF   EDREI. 


The  Romans  permitted  towns  to  ^^lace  on  the  reverses 
of  their  coins  their  tutelary  deities  and  traditional  heroes, 
and  so  we  see  on  coins  of  Sidon,  Astarte  ;  on  coins  of 
Dium,  Dagon ;  and  here,  doubtless,  on  this  coin  of  Adraa 
we  have  a  remnant  of  the  tradition  of  Og,  the  last  of  the 
"remnant  of  giants"  (Deut.  iii.  11),  preserved  by  the  peo- 
ple of  his  native  town. 

On  my  return  to  the  village  the  sheikh  took  me  away 
very  mysteriously  to  the  roof  of  his  house,  and  when  I  ex- 
pected to  hear  some  state  secret,  which  («  la  Tancred) 
would  shake  a  thousand  thrones,  he  merely  informed  me 
that  he  wanted  "  to  be  in  the  purse  of  the  English  Consul." 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  301 

Having  no  political  mission,  and  not  wanting  to  hamjier 
myself  by  inconvenient  promises,  I  answered,  "  You  are  a 
very  big  man,  and  the  Consul's  purse  is  only  a  few  inches 
wide."  He  then  explained  that  he  wanted  English  pro- 
tection, and  to  be  a  prot<)g^  of  the  Consul. 

I  replied,  "  O,  Sheikh !  your  own  proverb  says,  '  Too 
much  tying  loosens.'  Everybody  knows  the  good-will  the 
Druzes  bear  to  the  English,  and  the  protection  the  Eng- 
lish extend  to  the  Druzes.  Do  not  loosen  the  knot  of 
friendship  that  exists  between  you  by  any  attempt  to 
tie  it  tighter." 

A  proverb  may  not  always  be  logical,  but  if  it  be  aptly 
applied  it  is  always  conclusive  in  Arabia.  He  came  down 
from  the  roof  apparently  as  well  satisfied  with  my  reply 
as  if  I  had  made  the  present  debtor  to  the  future  by  a 
score  of  extravagant  promises  which  I  could  never  have 
hoped  to  perform. 

Our  visit  to  Nejran  was  one  of  the  pleasantest  we  made 
in  the  Hauran.  We  had  a  good  sale  for  our  books,  and  a 
most  pressing  invitation  to  stay  during  the  night ;  but  we 
pushed  on  to  Mejdel,  the  residence  of  my  friend  Sheikh 
Hazimeh,  the  most  powerful  of  all  the  Druze  sheikhs. 


FOLi>I.NU     .VloNK     UOOK     (HAURAN). 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 


/'^N  our  arrival  at  Mejdel,  Sheikh  Hazimeh  was  absent, 
^-^  but  his  son,  a  handsome  lad  of  fourteen,  received 
us  with  hereditary  courtesy  and  hospitality.  In  Mejdel 
we  could  once  more  move  about  without  our  revolvers, 
and  without  wishing  we  had  eyes  in  the  backs  of  our 
heads  to  guard  against  sudden  surprises.  However,  as 
I  wandered  in  the  suburbs  of  the  village,  I  became  the 
object  of  a  very  ridiculous  demonstration. 

I  had  left  my  colporteur  with  the  crowd,  and  while 
copying  an  inscription  at  the  end  of  the  village,  a  Bedawi 
woman  came  up  and  slipped  her  hand  into  the  open  pocket 
of  my  coat.  The  action  was  so  quick  and  skilful  that  I 
did  not  perceive  it.  Finding  that  she  had  only  secured  a 
central  fire  cartridge,  she  returned  it  to  me  with  a  look  of 
disgust.  She  then  commenced  a  jerking  Bedawi  dance, 
shouting  or  singing  with  a  shrill  voice,  "  Walla,  w'alla, 
look  at  the  smallness  of  his  legs  I "  Her  screams  and 
laughter  drew  a  crowd  of  Bedawi  women,  and  they  imme- 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 


Z^l 


diately  fell  into  a  ring  round,  me, 
and  all  clapping  their  hands 
together,  joined  in  the  chorus, 
"Walla,  w'alla,  look  at  the 
smallness  of  his  legs,  just  like 
pipe  shanks ! "  When  they  saw 
that  I  rather  enjoyed  the  scene, 
the  din  became  deafening;  but 
a  Druze  came  to  my  rescue,  and 
they  all  slunk  off  to  their  lairs, 
withered  hags  as  they  were. 

These  women  belonged  to  a 
sub-tribe  of  the  Bedawin,  which 
is  always  stationary  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, and  while  the  Druzes 
protect  them,  they  act  as  "hewers 
of  wood  and  drawers  of  water  " 
to  the  Druzes.  They  have  the 
same  gipsy  appearance  wherever 
seen.  They  are  small  and  lean, 
have  sharp,  pinched  features, 
which  are  all  covered  with  blue 
marks,  and  their  clothes  are  a 
bundle  of  grimy  rags.  They  all 
have  the  same  deep-set, 
small,  piercing  eyes,  and 
the  same  uncombed  but 
buttered  locks. 

At  Nejran  we  first  came 

30 


DRUZE    lANTUR. 


3o6  PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 

upon  the  Druze  women  wearing  the  taiitur,  or  wonderful 
horn,  which  in  many  places  they  have  since  ceased  to  wear. 
The  horn  is  a  silver  tube  from  twelve  to  twenty  inches 
long,  and  three  or  four  inches  in  diameter,  tapering  to  the 
top.  It  is  like  a  drinking-glass,  greatly  elongated,  open  at 
the  bottom  and  closed  at  the  top,  and  it  is  generally  em- 
bossed with  flowers  and  arabesque  patterns.  The  horn  is 
placed  with  its  mouth  on  the  tarboosh,  or  red  felt  cap,  on 
the  top  of  the  head,  slanting  forward,  and  it  is  fastened  by 
strings  attached  to  hooks  on  the  horn,  and  passing  under 
the  chin  and  behind  the  head.  Over  the  horn  a  white 
veil  is  thrown,  which  falls  down  over  the  shoulders,  and 
a  hair  rope  passing  round  the  head  outside  the  veil  keeps 
the  horn  in  its  place.  The  head-dress  is  then  the  shape  of 
the  "grenadiers'  hats"  which  we  used  to  make  of  rushes. 

The  remainder  of  the  toilet  of  those  horned  females  con- 
sists of  wide  calico  trousers,  and  a  kind  of  blue  calico 
shirt  falling  over  all  to  below  the  knees.  The  feet  are 
generally  bare.  In  this  strangest  of  costumes,  which  gives 
a  "  Mother  Hubbard "  appearance,  they  engage  in  all 
works  —  some  of  them  are  said  to  sleep  with  their  horns 
on  at  night ;  and  as  one  sees  them  going  to  the  wells,  with 
jars  on  their  shoulders,  and  horns  on  their  heads,  they 
form  a  very  striking  picture. 

All  the  women  wear  massive  ornaments,  so  that  on  the 
same  arms  you  will  see  bracelets  of  glass,  brass,  gold,  and 
silver,  the  one  above  the  other.  A  well-dressed,  fashion- 
able woman  in  the  Hauran  will  have  on  her  person  fifteen 
or  seventeen  pounds'  weight  of  jewellery.     The  Christian 


TKMPLE        AT        SULEIM. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  307 

women  dress  exactly  like  the  Driize  women,  barring  the 
horn.  The  children  all  wear  little  red  caps  with  coins  and 
charms  suspended  from  the  tassels. 

On  the  9th  of  April  we  cantered  out  of  Mejdel  on 
a  clear  bracing  morning.  Lebanon  and  Hermon  appeared 
very  distinct,  and  very  high,  and  the  snows  on  their 
summits  glowed  like  amethyst  as  they  were  lighted  up 
by  the  rising  sun.  To  the  north-east,  Tell  Sheehan  stood 
gazing  open-mouthed  at  the  unlovely  sable  flood  which 
it  had  vomited  forth  on  the  plain.  The  morning  shadow 
lay  dark  on  the  mouth  of  the  crater,  showing  very  dis- 
tinctly whence  came  the  discharges  which  now  drape 
the  land.  We  believed  we  could  trace  the  wavy  outline 
of  the  fiery  deluge  that  issued  from  its  rugged  throat; 
and  the  other  smaller  truncated  cones  around  showed, 
by  the  deep  gashes  in  their  sides,  that  they  were  no  idle 
spectators  of  the  dismal  work. 

The  stones  were  here  gathered  out  of  the  fields,  and  the 
corn  was  growing  luxuriantly  around  the  cairns.  In  a 
few  minutes  we  crossed  the  Roman  road  which  runs  from 
Phajna  to  Bosra  through  the  centre  of  the  Lejah.  On 
my  previous  visit  I  got  a  small  bustard  at  this  place.  It 
was  larger  than  a  partridge,  but  the  partridge  was  pre- 
ferred at  dinner. 

In  a  little  over  an  hour  we  reached  Suleim,  and  the 
Skeikh  Abu  Shahin  met  us  with  the  ever-ready  Druze 
welcome.  The  sheikh  was  very  proud  of  his  new  house, 
which  he  had  built  in  the  flimsy  Damascus  style.  Into 
the  walls  he  had  built  stones  with  inscriptions  and  bits 


3o8 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 


of  Greek  ornaments,  as  he  naively  said,  to  save  English- 
men from  ranging  through  the  town  to  look  for  them. 
On  one  stone  there  were  the  figures  of  two  animals  like 
lions,  with  wings  and  very  long  necks.  They  were  much  de- 
faced, but  they  seemed  to  have  had  the  countenances  of  men. 
North-east  of  the  village  there  is  a  fine  temple  in  ruins, 
and  hard  by  the  large  village  cistern.     The  Druze  women, 


TKMPLE   OF  KANAWAT. 


as  they  stooped  to  fill  their  jars  along  the  brink  of  tljis 
cistern,  appeared  from  a  distance  like  huge  birds  with 
their  long  beaks  pointing  down  to  tlie  water. 


DBCZE    LADILt)    Ol'     LEBAXOX. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  311 

From  Suleim  we  struck  up  the  hill  to  Kanavvat.  The 
country  most  pleasantly  reminded  us  of  home,  —  exten- 
sive cultivation  and  abundant  vegetation,  and  the  whole 
district  wooded  like  an  English  park.  On  our  left,  on  the 
curve  of  the  hill,  stood  '•'■  Kasr  Mabroom,'"  a  round  toAver, 
the  most  conspicuous  artificial  object  in  the  whole  landscape. 
We  crossed  a  mountain  stream  opposite  the  Kasr  iVIabroom, 
and  close  to  the  ruined  base  of  another  round  tower. 


RUIN   AT   KANAWAT. 


We  now  ascended  among  the  evergreen  "oaks  of 
Bashan,"  doubly  pleasing  in  shade  and  colour,  after  the 
dismal  and  sterile  districts  which  we  Had  been  traversing. 
Through  the  breaks  in  the  trees  on  our  left  we  saw  a 
curious  ruin,  and,  after  vainly  attempting  to  bring  our 
horses  up  to  it,  w^e  tied  them  in  the  thicket  and  ap- 
proached it  on  foot.  It  was  a  huge  round  tower,  with 
the   side  fallen  out   of   it.     The  stones  of  which  it  was 


312  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

built  were  dressed,  and  did  not  seem  very  old ;  but  there 
were  hard  by  a  number  of  foundations  of  other  round 
towers  that  had  a  very  ancient  look. 

A  considerable  stream  flowed  close  by  these  towers,  and 
partridges  roosted  in  the  oaks  that  covered  them.  As  we 
reached  the  edge  of  the  wady  on  which  the  city  stood,  we 
came  upon  other  foundations  of  round  towers,  one  of 
which,  with  a  little  inscription  lying  beside  it,  was  twelve 
yards  in  diameter.  , 

The  ruins  of  Kanaw§,t  are  among  the  most  important  in 
Bashan,  and  they  date  from  the  early  centuries  of  our  era. 
One  of  the  earliest  inscriptions  in  the  Hauran  is  a  frag- 
ment (of  course  rifled  from  an  older  structure)  now  in  the 
wall  of  one  of  the  churches.  In  this  fragment,  Agrippa 
(presumably  the  elder)  reproaches  the  people  for  having 
lived  up  to  that  time  as  if  in  the  dens  of  wild  beasts  ;  and 
the  remainder  of  the  inscription,  which  is  wanting,  no 
doubt  called  upon  them  to  build  themselves  houses  and 
live  like  men.  The  testimony  of  Josephus  and  othere  cor- 
roborates Agrippa's  tablets  as  to  the  habits  of  the  people 
up  to  that  period,  and  the  ruins  of  private  houses,  as  well 
as  palatial  residences,  stand  as  proof  that,  at  that  time  at 
least,  they  took  to  building  houses. 

From  the  time  of  Agrippa  to  the  time  of  Justinian  a 
gleam  of  sunshine  fell  upon  Bashan,  for  to  that  palmy 
period  of  Roman  rule  belong  all  her  wondrous  monuments. 
Before  and  after  that  period,  dark  and  troublous  times 
were  the  portion  of  Bashan.  But  a  wave  of  prosperity 
then  passed  over  the  land,  leaving  behind  it  monuments 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  313 

which,  in  the  grace  and  grandeur  of  their  massive  ruins, 
have  been  attributed  to  the  giants  by  travellers  of  the 
nineteentli  century. 

This  ruin  has  been  hastily  identified  as  the  Kanath  of 
the  Bible  ;  but  the  theory  is  one  that  must  be  thrown 
down.  There  is  little  in  the  Bible  about  Kanath,  but  that 
little  goes  to  prove  that  it  could  not  have  been  at  Kan- 
awat. 

When  the  Manassehites  were  settling  into  their  posses- 
sions east  of  the  Jordan,  "  Nobah  went  and  took  Kenath, 
and  called  it  after  his  own  name "  (Num.  xxxii.  42). 
Kanath  is  but  once  again  mentioned  in  the  Bible  (1  Chron. 
ii.  23) ;  but  under  its  changed  name,  Nobah,  we  meet  it 
again,  in  connection  with  other  towns  which  approximately 
fix  its  location. 

When  Gideon  pursued  the  flying  Midianites  across  the 
Jordan,  touching  Succoth  and  Penuel  in  his  pursuit,  "  he 
went  up  by  the  way  of  them  that  dwelt  in  tents  on  the 
east  of  Nobah  and  Jogbehah,  and  smote  the  host " 
(Judges  viii.  11). 

Now,  Succoth,  and  Penuel,  and  Jogbehah  belonged  to 
Gilead  (Josh.  xiii.  27 ;"  Num.  xxxii.  35),  and  Jerome 
places  Succoth  east  of  the  Jordan,  opposite  Scythopolis,^ 
at  the  place  where  Burckhardt  found  its  ruins.^ 

We  would  thus  expect  to  find  Nobah  on  the  east  of 
Gilead,  beyond  the  places  mentioned  in  connection  with 

1  Jerome  ad  Oen.  3.3. 17. 

2  Burckhardt's  Travels,  p.  345.  Beisan  is  now  finally  Identified  by 
the  P.  E.  F.  party  as  Scythopolis. 


314  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

it,  certainly  not  on  a  remote  mountain  distant  from  them 
a  march  of  three  or  four  days.  But  when  we  read  that 
"  he  went  up  by  the  way  of  them  that  dwelt  in  tents  on 
the  east  of  Nobah,"  we  see  from  the  slightest  knowledge 
of  the  country  that  Nobah  could  not  have  been  Kanawlit, 
for  the  country  east  of  Kanawat  is  mountain,  and  to  have 
gone  up  by  the  people  who  dwelt  in  tents  east  of  Kanawat, 
Gideon  must  have  taken  his  noble  three  hundred  round 
behind  Jebel  ed-Druze,  into  the  distant  and  inhospitable 
desert,  El-Kra. 

We  thus  see  the  utter  absurdity  of  identifying  Kanath 
or  Nobah  of  the  Bible  with  the  Kanawat  of  the  Druze 
mountain.  Kanath  must  be  sought  for  much  nearer 
Gilead ;  and  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance,  in  the  inter- 
ests of  Biblical  geography,  that  attention  should  be  called 


COIN   OF  KAXAWAT. 


to  fanciful   identifications  which  have  already  taken   up 
recognized  positions  on  the  maps. 

I  wish  to  trouble  the  reader  with  as  few  as  possible  of 
these  crude  identifications ;  but  I  should  be  inexcusable 
did  I  give  the  approval  even  of  silence  to  so  manifestly 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


315 


incorrect  identifications  as  those  of  the  Pharpar,  Edrei, 
and  Kanawat.i 

There  is  little  doubt  that  Kanatha,  or  Kanawat,  grew 
into  importance  as  the  summer  residence  of  the  Roman 
rulers  of  Bashan.  It  was  the  sanitarium  of  the  district. 
Even  Florentinus,  whose  great  tomb  is  at  Petra,  is  sup- 
posed to  have  had  a  summer  residence  at  Kanawat,  and  his 
name  remains  over  the  door  of  a  private  house  to  this  day. 
What  Simla  is  to  the  English  of  India,  and  Bludan  to  the 
European  resident  at  Damascus,  that  was  Kanawat  to  the 
Romans,  whose  presence  brought  order  and  prosperity,  for 
the  first  and  last  time,  to  the  manifold  districts  of  Bashan. 

At  Kanawat  they  had  wooded  hill  and  bracing  air  and 
ice-cold  springs  and  murmuring  streams,  and  the  scene  of 
their  stewardship  spread  out  before  them  like  an  open 
book;  and  so  they  builded  temples  to  their  gods,  which 
were  no  gods,  and  when  Christianity  became  patronized 
by  the  Constantines,  they  pulled  their  temples  about  and 
made  them  into  Christian  churches.  And  they  had  their 
baths,  and  their  theatres,  and  their  hippodrome,  and  their 
promenades.  And  when  the  city  was  plucked  from  the 
feeble  grasp  of  the  Byzantines,  the  blight  of  Islam,'  whose 

1  In  Roman  times  there  were  two  cities  in  Bashan,  Kanatha  and 
Kanata,  and  writers  have  not  been  sufficiently  careful  to  distinguish 
between  them.  I  have  in  my  cabinet  coins  of  both  cities.  Kanatha  is 
Kanawat,  and  Kanata  is  supposed  (Waddington,  p.  549)  to  be  Kerah, 
a  ruin  in  the  vicinity  of  Bosra.  This  Kanata  has  been  pointed  out  with 
some  probability  as  the  Kanatha  of  the  Bible ;  but  though  it  answers 
better  to  the  Scripture  account  of  it  than  Kanawat,  I  believe  it  is  also 
too  far  distant  from  the  Jordan  to  be  the  Nobah,  to  the  east  of  which 
Gideon  went  up  with  his  improvised  and  famishing  little  troop. 


3i6 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


genius  is  destruction,  fell  upon  it,  and  from  that  period  to 
the  present  day  time  and  man  have  united  to  make  this 
lovely  town   once  more   like  a    burrowing-place    of  wild 


GATEWAY,   KANAWAT. 


beasts.     Their  success  has  been  considerable ;  but  as  we 
gaze  on  the  airy  columns  that  proudly  rise  above  the  oaks, 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  317 

and  stumble  over  statue  and  column  and  capital,  and 
listen  to  the  partridge,  and  see  tlie  gazelles  roaming 
tamely  through  the  evergreen  parks,  and  drink  the  crystal 
waters,  and  then  turn  to  the  wondrous  landscape,  stretch- 
ing away  to  Jordan,  and  Hermon,  and  Lebanon,  we  can 
form  still  a  conception  of  the  paradise  which  Roman 
energy  and  taste  created  in  this  mountain  dell. 

I  was  glad  the  sheikh  was  not  at  home,  for  he  was  so 
warm  a  friend  of  mine  that  he  would  certainly  have  en- 
cumbered us  with  kindness.  Unimpeded  by  friend  or  foe, 
we  roamed  over  the  whole  ruins ;  but  we  were  not  a  little 
surprised  to  find  that  all  the  men  carried  arms  ready  for 
use,  and  wherever  we  came  upon  any  one  suddenly  his 
firet  instinct  was  to  grasp  his  weapon. 

I  returned  from  my  explorations,  having  sold  every  book 
I  took  with  me. 

The  women  are  just  like  those  we  spoke  of  at  Mejdel, 
and  they  wear  an  additional  red  robe  under  the  blue  one, 
doubtless  necessitated  by  the  greater  altitude  of  the  vil- 
lage. The  horn  is  more  common,  and  the  size  and  weight 
of  the  numerous  bracelets  worn  on  the  same  arm  are 
more  striking.  They  all  have  a  trick  of  drawing  the  veil 
that  hangs  from  the  horn  coquettishly  over  the  face, 
leaving  only  a  little  hole  for  the  right  eye  to  peep  through, 
—  a  bright  eye  in  a  sooty  setting. 

The  Druze  women  were  all  busy,  and  always  busy, 
nursing  babies,  kneading  bread  for  food  or  dung  for  fuel,  or 
carrying  water  in  jars,  or  grinding  at  the  mill,  or  making 
rays  and  baskets  of  straw,  or  spinning  with  the  distaff. 


3i8  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A, 

A  short  distance  up  the  hill  from  Kanawat  we  came 
upon  the  interesting  ruins  of  Sia.  The  temple  was  dedi- 
cated "  to  our  Lord,  King  Herod  the  Great,"  and  was 
adorned  with  groups  of  sculptured  birds  and  animals,  and 
festooned  fruits  and  flowers.  Herod's  statue,  of  which 
one  foot  remains,  was  destroyed  probably  by  the  early 
Christians,  who  bore  no  good-will  to  the  murderer  of  the 
infants. 

This  monument  to  Herod  the  Great  is  exceedingly 
interesting,  when  taken  in  connection  with  a  statement  by 
Josephus.  Herod  commenced  the  work  of  civilization  in 
Bashan,  and  Josephus  (Ant.  Jud.  xvi.  9,  2)  tells  us  that 
"  he  placed  three  thousand  Idumeans  in  Trachonitis,  and 
thereby  restrained  the  robbers  that  were  there."  On  the 
stones  about  there  are  Idumean  inscriptions,  and  it  has 
been  plausibly  conjectured  that  Herod  placed  the  three 
thousand  in  Kanawat,  and  that  they  erected  the  monu- 
ment of  Sia.  And  this  conjecture  seems  almost  certain, 
when  we  remember  how  badly  the  great  king's  efforts  at 
civilizing  these  wild  regions  were  appreciated ;  and,  indeed, 
so  unpopular  was  he  with  the  people,  that  a  monument 
could  only  have  been  erected  in  his  honour  in  a  place  pro- 
tected by  his  garrison. 

Descending  from  Kanawat,  we  passed  one  of  the  love- 
liest ruins  in  the  Hauran.  On  a  knoll  to  the  right,  a 
number  of  beautiful  Corinthian  columns  stand  on  a  raised 
platform,  towering  over  the  wooded  landscape.  Time  has 
made  gaps  among  them,  so  that  they  stand  charmingly 
irregular,  like  the  trees  of  the  field  around  them. 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 


319 


We  passed  down  to  Atil  through  a  lovely  wooded  coun- 
try, in  which  every  piece  of  open  ground  waved  with 
luxuriant  wheat.  Streams  murmured  between  grassy 
margins,  and  the  air  was  heavy  with  the  scent  of  haw- 


PKRIPTERAL  TEMPLE  AT  KANAWAT. 


thorn  and  other  blossoms,  and  on  the  grassy  slope  our 
horses  crushed,  with  iron  heel. 


"  The  little  speedwell's  darling  blue  ; 
Deep  tulips,  dashed  with  fiery  dew ; 
Laburnums,  dropping  wells  of  fire." 

When  our  minds  wandered,  led  by  the  association  of 
ideas,  to  the  "  days  that  are  no  more,"  we  were  generally 
abruptly  called  back  to  the  reality  of  our  position  by  the 

21 


320  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

appearance  of  some  ruffian  among  the  trees,  braced  in  the 
antique  armour  of  his  hereditary  robber  race. 

In  Atil,  the  ancient  Athila,  there  are  two  temples  and 
many  inscriptions,  one  of  which  was  addressed  to  the 
Idumean  god  Theandrias,  who  was  worshipped  elsewhere 
in  Bashan,  especially  in  Bosra.  Several  broken  statues, 
some  of  them  equestrian,  are  lying  about,  and  there  is  one 
fine  bust  built  into  a  garden  wall. 

Here  first  we  met  the  Druzes  armed  and  excited,  but  as 
yet  we  did  not  know  the  cause.  A  young  Druze,  who 
was  once  in  a  Protestant  school,  recognized  me,  and  we 
had  a  good  sale  of  books. 

The  whole  village  pressed  upon  us  more  familiarly  than 
was  pleasant,  and  I  found  one  man  whose  hand  had  strayed 
into  my  pocket.  He  seemed  greatly  amused  when  I  asked 
him  if  that  was  an  ordinary  custom  among  them. 

We  discovered  in  Atil  a  wonder  such  as  no  traveller 
has,  I  believe,  seen  in  the  Hauran  since  or  before.  It  was 
nothing  less  than  a  Druze  woman  reading  a  book.  She  had 
the  "notable  horn  between  her  eyes,"  like  the  other  uni- 
corns, and  was  sewing  with  her  book  propped  up  before 
her.  The  book  was  a  manuscript,  written,  she  said,  by  a 
Magraby,  containing  the  traditions  of  the  Pharaohs ;  but 
it  was  really  a  miserable  work  on  magic.  I  could  not  get 
her  interested  in  the  Bible,  but  she  bought  a  copy  of 
"Henry  and  his  Bearer"  in  Arabic. 

Here,  during  a  halt  of  an  hour,  we  sold  thirty-three 
different  books;  and  when  we  left,  an  armed  Druze  fol- 
lowed us  for  a  tract,  and  as  he  paid  for  one  he  snatched 


7        ^ 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


323 


another  by  force  from  the  colporteur,  and  ran  away  with 
it  in  triumph. 

From  Atil  to  Suweideh  our  path  lay  for  the  most  part 
along  the  Roman  road.  Nothing  in  that  land  gives  one 
such  an  idea  of  the  earnest,  stern  purpose  and  iron  will 
of  those  old  Roman  teachers  of  order  as  that  road,  striking 
straight  as  an  arrow  over  rock  and  hollow,  through  the 
whole  length  of  this  dismal  land.  We  passed  what 
seemed  to  have  been  roadside  inns  at  regular  intervals 
on  the  road. 


CAKVED    HtAJJ,     KANAWAT. 


DOOKWAY    AT    KAXAWAT. 

chaptp:r  XXVII. 

\  T  7E  entered  Suweideh  in  company  with  an  enormous 
•  *  flock  of  little  horses  returning  from  their  pastures. 
My  old  friend  Waked  el-Hamdan  gave  us  a  most  fatherly 
welcome,  and  his  sons  looked  on  our  visit  as  a  pleasant 
incident.  Bashire,  our  old  guide  on  a  former  tour,  but 
grown  very  fat  and  puffy  since  I  last  saw  him,  made  a 
great  fuss  over  us,  and  recounted  all  the  fine  things  we 
then  said  and  the  wonderful  things  we  did. 

It  was  arranged  that  he  should  give  our  servants  every- 
thing we  wanted  at  a  fair  price ;  and  he  gave  us  to  under- 
stand that  from  him  we  could  get  a  list  of  all  the 
Englishmen  who  had  sj)onged  on  the  sheikh  for  the  last 
ten  years,  and  of  all  who  honestly  paid  their  way. 

Bashire  is  a  refugee  from  the  Lebanon,  where,  in 
consequence  of  his  great  activity  in  1860,  his  head  was 
eagerly  inquired  after.     We    found   him  a  trusty  guide. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  325 

and,  like  Falstaff,  he  was  the  occasion  of  much  wit  in 
others,  by  the  wondrous  tales  he  told  of  himself. 

We  read  in  books  of  the  unfailing  loyalty  of  the  Druzes 
to  hereditary  rank,  and  the  statement  sounds  patriarchal. 
If  it  were  correct,  however.  Waked  el-Hamdan  would 
have  been  chief  of  all  the  Druzes  in  the  Hauran ;  but  as 
in  other  states  hereditary  claims  are  set  aside  for  politi- 
cal considerations  and  personal  fitness,  so  in  the  Hauran 
the  valiant  and  turbulent,  though  plebeian,  Atrash  family 
had  eclipsed  the  gentle  and  humane,  though  princely, 
house  of  Hamdan;  and  at  the  time  of  our  visit  there 
was  a  radical  movement  among  the  Druzes  to  strip 
Waked  of  the  last  remnant  of  nominal  power,  and  confer 
it  on  Ibrahim  el-Atrash  of  Kureiyeh. 

Nor  was  this  to  be  wondered  at  when  we  remember 
that  the  Druzes  were  engaged  in  a  desperate  struggle 
for  national  existence.  On  the  one  hand,  they  had  to 
guard  against  the  encroachments  of  the  Turks,  and  on 
the  other,  against  the  encroachments  of  the  Bedawin ; 
and  occasionally  they  had  a  desperate  war  with  the 
Christians.  In  such  a  state  of  society  the  fiercest  valour 
is  the  highest  virtue.  Waked  el-Hamdan  was  a  tall, 
handsome  man,  of  a  most  gentle  and  impressively  sweet 
disposition,  and  his  virtues  were  such  as  are  recognized 
in  more  tranquil  times. 

All  points  of  etiquette  complied  with,  we  declined  the 
proffered  banquet,  on  the  ground  that  it  would  take  up 
too  much  of  our  time,  which  we  wished  to  spend  in 
selling  books   and    seeing  the    place.      The   sheikh   the 


326  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

more  readily  consented  to  our  leaving  him  for  a  time,  as 
some  question  of  deep  interest  was  agitating  the  Druzes, 
and  there  were  dusty  couriers  arriving  and  fresh  couriers 
galloping  off.  There  was  also  much  whispering,  and 
cleaning  up  of  old  armour.  On  our  return  to  our  tent 
we  heard  a  loud  voice  "  proclaiming  from  the  house  tops  " 
the  programme  of  the  morrow.  Part  of  the  proclamation 
was  in  the  secret  language  of  the  Druzes,  and  it  ended 
in  plain  Arabic,  forbidding,  to  our  surprise,  the  departure 
of  the  caravan  for  Damascus. 

We  conjectured  the  cause  of  all  this,  but  resolved  to 
go  on  with  our  work,  asking  no  questions,  until  events 
should  reveal  themselves. 

We  explored  the  ruins  the  next  morning,  and  found 
them  very  extensive,  but  very  much  tossed  about  and 
crushed  into  heaps.  The  place  must  have  been  of 
considerable  importance  in  the  past  as  well  as  in  the 
present ;  and  the  fact  of  its  not  being  mentioned  in 
history  is  easily  accounted  for,  on  the  supposition  that 
its  name  was  changed  in  the  early  centuries  of  our  era 
from  Soada  to  Dionysias,  and  this  conjecture  receives 
confirmation  from  the  fact  that  "  Smith,"  in  a  Greek  in- 
scription, calls  Dionysus  the  founder  of  the  city.^ 

If  it  were  Dionysias,  it  had  considerable  fame,  ecclesi- 
astically and  otherwise ;  but  the  identification  is  only  a 
plausible  theory,  and  it  ought  to  remain  a  theory  until 
proved.  The  necessity  for  this  last  observation  will  ap- 
pear the  more  obvious  when  we  remember  how  many 
1  Waddington's  Inscriptions  Greques  et  Latines,  p.  531. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  327 

Hauran  theories  have  been  already  set  aside.  We  were 
assured  in  books  that  two  Greek  inscriptions  among  the 
ruins  of  Suweideh  had  been  erected  by  two  companies, 
which  were  prototypes  of  our  East  India  and  other 
famous  companies ;  but  when  the  inscriptions  were  care- 
fully examined,  they  turned  out  to  have  been  no  com- 
panies at  all  that  erected  them,  but  two  liistoric  Arab 
tribes.  Nor  is  it  easy  to  undei-stand  how  this  blunder 
was  made,  for  the  Greek  word  translated  "company"  is 
rendered  by  the  word  "  tribus." 

There  was  a  large  population  among  the  ruins,  and 
among  them  some  Jews  and  Christians ;  but  the  door  was 
effectually  closed  against  missionary  operations  b}'^  late 
impracticable  attempts  to  open  it. 

Waked  el-Hamdan  was  not  one  of  those  who  "  welcome 
the  coming  and  speed  the  parting  guest,"  and  so  he  would 
not  hear  of  our  departure;  but  we  finally  succeeded  in 
taking  leave  of  the  kindly  old  patriarch  and  his  amiable 
family,  and  galloped  out  of  the  town  to  show  we  could 
ride. 

At  first  we  passed  among  fields  with  high  stone  walls, 
and  with  many  bases  of  round  towers  here  and  there, 
seven  or  eight  being  in  sight  at  once.  Druze  women 
were  in  the  fields  gathering  loads  of  yellow  weeds  out 
of  the  wheat.  They  all  wore  horns,  and  had  unusually 
dirty  veils  thrown  over  them.  They  had  a  very  ingenious 
way  of  getting  the  loads  on  their  donkeys.  They  tied  up 
one  of  the  animal's  legs  and  threw  it  down,  and  having 
rolled  the  sack  of  weeds  on  its  back,  they  tugged  at  its 


328  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

tail  till  it  got  up.  The  poor  animal  in  trying  to  rise 
generally  stumbled  and  fell  two  or  three  times  with  the 
load  upon  it,  so  that  this  system  of  loading  donkeys 
cannot  be  recommended  on  humane  grounds. 

Passing  over  a  hill,  we  came  in  sight  of  Raha,  and  we 
saw  on  the  rising  ground  to  the  left  twenty-three  yoke  of 
oxen  ploughing  in  one  field.  It  was  here  a  custom  with 
the  Druzes  to  meet  together  and  plough  each  other's  land 
in  company.  Our  way  now  lay  across  stony  meadows. 
On  our  left  was  Kuleib,  tJie  pivot^  or  little  hearty  a  lofty 
cone  at  the  southern  end  of  the  Druze  mountain.  It 
was  once  a  volcano,  and  the  crater  is  still  lying  open 
before  us. 

The  trend  of  the  lava  from  Kuleib  was  in  a  south- 
western direction,  and  we  were  anxious  to  know  if  the 
basalt  stretched  any  further,  and  whence  came  the  lava 
which  is  east  of  the  mountain.  Our  curiosity  was  of 
short  duration ;  for  as  we  passed  east  of  the  extinct  vol- 
cano Kuleib  we  still  found  the  basaltic  lava-bed  continued, 
and  there  were  many  cones,  large  and  small,  with  the 
peculiar  gash  in  their  south-western  sides,  and  we  could 
see  clearly  that  the  basalt  south-east  of  Kuleib  was  trace- 
able to  these  numerous  exhausted  volcanoes. 

Following  a  little  stream,  we  came  to  a  fountain  called 
'Ain  Mousa,  with  a  Greek  inscription  over  it,  containing 
the  name  of  "  Isaac,  the  jeweller."  By  the  fountain  there 
was  a  shepherd  boy  playing  on  a  reed  pipe  to  a  flock  of 
goats  and  lambs.  The  music  was  of  the  simplest,  there 
being  only,  as  far  as  we  could  make  out,  two  notes ;  but 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  329 

the  boy  was  so  "charmed  with  the  sound  himself  hud 
made "  that  he  scarcely  noticed  us  as  we  passed ;  and 
never  did  "  high-born  maiden  in  her  palace  bower "  give 
more  rapt  attention  to  the  strains  of  some  distracted  lover, 
borne  on  the  midnight  air,  than  did  these  appreciative 
sheep  and  goats  to  the  serenade  of  the  modern  David.  In 
fact,  they  shut  their  eyes,  and  nodded,  and  rocked  from 
side  to  side,  and  seemed  lulled  into  drowsiness. 

A  little  beyond  the  fountain  we  entered  El-Kufr, 
through  high-walled  fields,  and  rode  round  the  town 
before  going  to  the  sheikh's  house.  When  at  length  we 
reached  the  house,  we  found  a  number  of  Druzes  armed 
and  in  conclave  in  a  large,  dark  room.  One  of  them,  Abu 
Ali,  whom  I  had  once  assisted  in  getting  a  friend  out  of 
prison,  recounted  what  I  had  done,  and  so  I  became  imme- 
diately a  great  hero.  Abu  Ali,  however,  was  sorry  he 
could  not  tell  me  what  all  the  arming  meant,  but  assured 
me  that  we  were  perfectly  safe  as  long  as  we  were  among 
the  Druzes. 

Having  used  all  the  compliments  we  could  think  of, 
three  or  four  times  over,  and  a  silence  ensuing,  we 
mounted  amidst  the  most  hearty  hand-shaking  and  rode 
away.  We  then  passed  through  lovely  meadows,  "  o'er 
the  smooth,  enamelled  green,"  to  a  wooded  upland. 

As  I  stopped  on  the  knoll  waiting  for  my  party  in  the 
rear,  I  watched  the  efforts  of  a  butcher-bird  to  secure  a 
lizard.  The  lizard  was  one  of  the  long,  yellow  kind,  and 
several  times  it  escaped  from  the  bird's  beak,  and  made 
for  a  heap  of  stones  ;  but  at  last  the  butcher-bird  carried 


330  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

it  off  in  triumph  and  impaled  it  on  a  thorn.  There  were 
different  kinds  of  butcher-birds  about,  and  warblers  that 
I  could  not  see,  whifch  sent  forth  from  the  bushes  a  strange 
sweet  song ;  and  there  were,  in  the  open  patches  among  the 
trees,  storks,  with  stately  steps,  that  had  not  forgotten 
their  season. 

We  visited  Hebran  to  the  right  on  the  ,hill,  and  had 
a  magnificent  view  of  the  landscape.  We  explored  the 
churches,  which  were  once  idol  temples,  and  read  the 
Greek  inscriptions  which,  even  on  this  wild  summit, 
"  Smith  "  has  left  behind  him.  A  cuckoo,  a  rare  bird  in 
the  land,  flew  out  of  the  ruined  church  as  we  entered  it. 
The  church  had  no  other  tenant  except  the  lizai*ds  on 
the  walls. 

The  Druzes  of  Hebran  were  by  far  the  most  ruffianly- 
looking  set  we  had  seen  in  the  Hauran,  but  they  were 
civil  to  us.  I  almost  shuddered  to  think  of  the  treatment 
an  enemy  would  meet  in  that  fastness. 

The  women  were  not  civil,  and  they  looked  even  more 
villanous  than  the  men. 

From  the  village  we  descended  a  very  steep  hill,  passed 
great  dams  of  yellow  water,  caught  from  the  winter  rain, 
and  proceeded  through  a  pathless,  stony  plain,  with  abun- 
dance of  grass  growing  among  the  stones.  In  some  of 
the  fields  I  counted  over  one  hundred  storks.  We  passed 
the  village  Schewet  el-Khudr  on  our  left.  Khudr  is  the 
Arabic  name  of  St.  George,  who  was  put  to  death,  under 
Diocletian,  at  Lydda(?),  and  whose  bones  repose  in  the 
Church  of  St.   George  at  Ezr'a  (?).     The  saint  is  held  in 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  331 

the  highest  veneration  by  Moslems  as  well  as  by  Chris- 
tians. They  all  make  pilgrimages  to  his  shrine  here, 
and  on  the  23rd  of  May  they  sacrifice  a  lamb  on  the 
threshold  of  the  chapel  of  St.  George. 

On  our  right,  over  against  Schewet  el-Khudr,  is  an 
extinct  volcano,  called  Tell  Miriam  —  the  Mound  of  Mary. 
The  evening  shadow  lay  black  on  the  mouth  of  the  crater, 
and  brought  out  its  character  very  distinctly.  Here,  in  a 
lonely  spot,  we  met  five  armed  Druzes,  who  deployed  in 
the  most  skilful  manner  as  we  approached,  and  yet  their 
action  was  so  quiet  and  natural  that  one  could  hardly 
believe  they  were  preparing  for  defence.  One  remained 
with  the  horses,  and  the  others  took  up  positions  among 
the  rocks,  from  which  it  would  have  been  extremely  diffi- 
cult to  dislodge  them. 

We  pushed  on  straight  for  Orman,  but  from  the  time  we 
came  opposite  Sulkhad  we  entered  among  high-walled  gar- 
dens. The  walls  still  stood  very  high,  but  the  gardens 
were  uncultivated.  For  days  we  had  been  exploring  the 
secret  recesses  of  untenanted  houses,  but  now  we  entered 
among  well-fenced  gardens  that  for  ages  had  known  no 
cultivator.  For  miles  and  miles  we  saw  the  gardens  and 
vineyards,  from  which  the  vine  had  disappeared,  and  the 
silence  and  desolation  were  as  oppressive  as  among  the 
homeless  houses  of  the  deserted  cities  of  the  Lejah. 

I  have  often  said  to  myself,  as  I  wandered  from 
chamber  to  chamber  of  some  deserted  palace,  "  This  was 
once,  probably,  the  home  of  some  chief,  looked  up  to  by 
his  neighbours,  whose  footstep  was  listened  for  by  wife  and 


332  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

children,  and  there  were  here  the  thousand  domestic  ties 
that  bind  a  man  to  place."  But  now  we  were  passing 
through  desolate  vinej'-ards  from  which  joy  had  been  taken 
away,  and  we  saw  how  literally  the  judgments  pronounced 
by  Jeremiah  had  been  here  fulfilled :  "  And  joy  and  glad- 
ness is  taken  from  the  plentiful  field,  and  from  the  land  of 
Moab ;  and  I  have  caused  wine  to  fail  from  the  wine- 
presses :  none  shall  tread  with  shouting"  (Jer.  xlviii.  33). 

We  have  now  reached  the  place  where  I  must  fulfil  my 
promise,  and  speak  of  the  object  and  uses  of  the  round 
towei-s  that  we  meet  with  throughout  the  Hauran  ;  and  the 
place  is  most  fitting,  for  here  every  garden  has  its  tower, 
some  small,  some  large,  according  to  the  size  of  the  gardens. 

In  investigating  the  unknown,  we  should  always  proceed 
from  the  known.  The  question  then  is,  Have  we  anything 
known  at  present  corresponding  to  these  towel's,  and  have 
we  any  written  notice  of  such  towers?  I  think  I  may 
answer  these  questions  in  the  affirmative.  I  believe  that 
these  towers  corresponded  exactly,  in  use  and  object,  to 
the  mantaras^  or  watch-towers,  now  raised  in  the  plain  of 
Damascus,  and  elsewhere,  wherever  crops  are  raised. 

In  the  plain  of  Damascus,  for  instance,  four  long  poles 
are  planted  firmly  in  the  ground  in  the  form  of  a  square. 
Near  their  tops  sticks  are  fastened  across  from  pole  to  pole, 
and  a  large  cage  is  made  and  covered  over,  from  which  one 
or  two  men  watch  the  crops  and  keep  off  robbers. 

For  such  uses  were  the  towers  at  Orman  ;  but  they  were 
built  of  stone,  the  material  which  was  most  abundant,  and 
such  were  nearly  all  the  towers  in  the  Hauran. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  333 

The  round  tower  near  Khubab,  of  which  I  gave  a  pict- 
ure, stood  not  far  from  a  well,  and  the  land  around  it  had 
once  been  cultivated,  and  it  was  doubtless  the  mantara  for 
the  bits  of  garden  watered  from  the  well,  and  for  the  fields 
round  about. 

But  the  chief  key  to  unlock  the  secret  of  these  mysteri- 
ous towers  may  be  found  in  the  parable  where  our  blessed 
Lord  speaks  of  a  "  householder  which  planted  a  vineyard, 
and  hedged  it  round  about  and  digged  a  wine-press  in  it, 
and  huilt  a  tower,  and  let  it  out  to  husbandmen  "  (Matt, 
xxi.  33).  To-day,  in  Syria,  every  vineyard  and  garden 
has  its  tower,  bearing  the  same  relation  to  the  permanent 
structures  of  the  past  as  does  everything  modern  in  the 
land. 

A  few  round  towers  were  mantaras  for  beacon  lights, 
such  as  the  Kasr  Mabroom  above  Kanawat,  and  the 
towers  on  the  hills  along  the  road  from  Damascus  to 
Aleppo.  Some  square  towers,  where  Palmyra  influence 
prevailed,  were  for  the  bodies  of  the  dead ;  but  nearly  all 
the  towers  in  the  land  clearly  correspond  in  use  and 
object  to  the  tower  mentioned  in  the  parable. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Damascus  men  sit  in  these 

mantaras  all  day,  watching  a  few  roods  of  melon,  or  a  field 

of  maize,  or  a  vineyard,  and  they  sleep  in  them  during  the 

night;   and  no  doubt  these  high  towers  of  the  Hauran 

were  slept  in  during  the  summer,  and  were  used  as  refuges 

in  times  of   danger ;   but  most  of  those  that  exist  now 

were  originally  intended  as  watch-towers. 

But  if  so,  why  so  many  together,  as  at  KanawHt?     From 

22 


334  PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 

their  position  at  Kanaw^t,  they  were  intended  to  com- 
mand the  plain  and  the  vineyards  on  tlie  opposite  hill, 
which  shows  signs  of  terraced  cultivation,  and  from  the 
spot  where  the  towers  are  the  watchmen  could  have  a 
bird's-eye  view  of  every  vine  on  the  hill.  Each  man  who 
had  a  vineyard  on  the  hill  would  have  a  tower  from  which 
to  watch  it ;  and  doubtless  he  and  his  family  slept  there 
during  the  summer  months.  As  we  entered  Orm^n, 
enormous  flocks  of  sheep  were  converging  to  the  village 
from  all  sides. 

We  received  a  welcome,  unusually  hearty,  from  the 
sheikh,  Ibrahim  Nejra  el-Atrash,  and  the  other  Druzes  who 
remembered  my  previous  visits.  The  sheikh  was  a  splen- 
did-looking, big,  dark  man,  about  two  hundred  and  eighty 
pounds'  weight.  He  was  also  a  mighty  man  of  valour,  and 
it  was  believed  that  bullets  could  not  pierce  him.  He 
occupied  one  of  the  outposts  of  the  Druzes,  and  had  to 
bear  the  first  shock  of  Arab  invasion.  He  had  a  large 
body  of  Druzes  under  his  command,  and  they  were  all 
well  armed,  and  nearly  all  well  mounted. 

In  the  autumn  of  1810,  Burckhardt  visited  Orman  and 
found  it  uninhabited.  At  the  time  of  my  visit  it  had  a 
large  Druze  population,  chiefly  made  np  of  men  who  had 
been  civilized  off  the  Lebanon,  and  whose  interest  it  is  to 
be  far  from  the  government;  and  Nejm  el-Atrash  ruled 
as  supremely  in  this  cave  of  Adullam,  over  his  outlaws,  as 
David  did  over  his  wild  following. 

The  sheikh  and  his  son,  and  their  retainer,  visited  us 
in  our  tent  after  dinner.     They  examined  all  our  books, 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  335 

and  for  hours  we  read  to  them  portions  of  the  New 
Testament.  We  were  much  impressed  with  their  intel- 
ligence, and  especially  with  their  knowledge  of  foreign 
politics. 

Next  morning  we  returned  the  visit,  and  found  the 
sheikh  sitting  in  the  gate,  surrounded  by  all  his  foUowei-s. 
The  news  that  disturbed  the  Druzes  on  our  path  had 
arrived,  and  a  council  of  war  was  being  held.  The  sheikh 
rose  and  met  us,  and  took  us  to  the  guest-chamber,  a  large, 
low-roofed  house,  once  a  church,  erected  from  material 
rifled  from  other  buildings. 

The  roof  was  supported  on  two  sets  of  heavy  arches, 
and  stone  rafters  laid  across  from  arch  to  arch  formed  the 
roof.  Light  was  admitted  only  by  the  chimney  and  door, 
and  served  to  make  the  darkness  visible.  The  roof  was 
ebon  black,  ebon  stalactites  seemed  to  hang  from  the 
rafters,  and  the  chamber  was  sombre  in  the  extreme. 
Crowds  of  Druzes  sat  around  in  the  thick  darkness.  Two 
Christian  altars,  with  Christian  emblems  and  inscriptions, 
stood  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  having  probably  never 
been  removed  from  the  building  since  the  time  it  was  a 
Christian  church.  We  had  first,  as  in  all  other  places,  to 
go  through  the  ordeal  of  waiting  for  and  drinking  coffee, 
in  a  becoming  manner. 

The  ceremony  was  worthy  of  a  sketch,  especially  as 
modern  civilization  had  never  yet  affected  the  stereotyped 
customs  of  this  remote  village.  My  companion  was  deci- 
phering a  Greek  inscription  on  one  of  the  altars  in  the 
floor,  so   that   I  was   able  to  take  accurate  notes  of  the 


336  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

coffee-making,  the  Druzes  thinking  that  I  was  writing 
the  inscription  to  dictation. 

The  operator,  a  thick-lipped  Abyssinian,  sat  down, 
evidently  deeply  impressed  with  the  importance  of  the 
operation  he  was  about  to  commence. 

He  fii"st  took  a  handful  of  small  green  coffee-berries 
from  a  sooty  bag,  and  put  them  in  an  iron  pan  with  a 
long  iron  handle,  which  he  held  over  the  fire  in  the 
middle  of  the  floor,  stirring  the  berries  till  they  were 
brown  (not  black).  Then  he  put  them  into  a  wooden 
mortar,  beautifully  carved,  and  with  a  long  wooden  sim- 
ilarly-carved pestle  he  pounded  them  to  the  tune  of 
rat-e-tat-tat.  The  music  was  so  impressive  that  every  one 
listened  in  deep  silence,  and  with  fallen  under  lip.  He 
broke  the  berries  fine,  but  did  not  pound  them  into  dust, 
and  he  emptied  them  into  a  very  grimy  pot,  which  he 
placed  on  the  fire  in  the  centre  of  the  chamber. 

When  the  coffee  had  boiled  a  little,  he  took  six  cups, 
poured  a  little  water  into  one  of  them,  and  held  it,  with 
his  fingers  outside  the  cup  and  his  thumb  inside,  and 
dexterously  turning  it  rubbed  the  bottom  all  round  with 
his  thumb.  He  then  poured  the  water  out  of  the  cup 
into  another,  and  so  on  till  the  last. 

Then  he  emptied  a  little  coffee  into  the  first  cup,  rinsed 
it,  and  emptied  it  into  the  second,  and  so  on  till  he  rinsed 
with  coffee  all  the  cups.  These  rinsings  are  not  thrown 
away,  but  poured  back  into  a  pot  of  second-quality  coffee 
for  the  common  guests.  He  had  now  reached  the  climax, 
when   he   solemnly  poured   out   a   little  coffee    into  cup 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  337 

number  one,  and  bravely  drank  it  off,  to  show  it  was  not 
poisoned.  He  then  filled  the  six  little  cups,  which  were 
as  large  as  %^^  cups,  about  half  full,  and  they  were 
gravely  handed  round. 

When  we  had  finished,  we  handed  our  cups  back  unto  a 
brass  tray,  and  the  slave  instantly  covered  them  with  his 
hand,  that  no  one  might  know  whether  we  trusted  our 
host  by  drinking  or  only  pretending  to  drink;  and  we, 
having  laid  down  our  cups,  made  graceful  bows  to  our 
host,  accompanied  with  our  sweetest  smiles  and  a  stereo- 
typed expression. 

Before  the  coffee  ceremony  was  over,  we  had  become  so 
accustomed  to  the  darkness  that  we  could  see  the  outlines 
of  the  Druzes,  who  sat  in  concentric  circles  around  the 
room.  And  what  a  thrilling  picture  might  have  been 
made  of  the  dark  room  by  the  genius  of  a  Rembrandt ! 

The  sheikh,  who  had  never  learned  the  art  of  "  honeying 
at  the  whisper  of  a  lord,"  and  who  feared  no  potentate, 
publicly  announced  to  us  the  cause  of  the  excitement. 

The  government  of  the  Hauran  had  resolved  to  levy  a 
new  tax  on  the  Hauran.  The  governor  had  assembled 
the  sheikhs  of  the  villages  and  proceeded  to  value  the 
land.  The  people  had  risen  in  their  wrath  and  slain  two 
of  the  sheikhs,  and  the  governor  had  saved  himself  by 
flight.  The  people  then  wreaked  their  vengeance  on  any 
emblems  of  Ottoman  rule  they  could  find.  They  tore 
down  fourteen  miles  of  the  telegraphic  wires,  and  all  the 
officials  fled  for  their  lives.  The  government  had  ordered 
up  cannon  and  troops,  and  threatened  vengeance,  and  the 


338  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

Hauranees  replied  that  on  the  14th  of  April  they  would 
leave  the  Hauran  en  masse. 

The  sheikh  then  pointed  to  the  messenger  who  had 
brought  the  report,  and  wound  up  a  calm  statement  of 
facts  by  a  few  impassioned,  burning  sentences :  "  The 
quarrel  of  the  Hauran  is  our  quarrel.  If  they  tax  them, 
they  will  also  tax  us.  The  government  does  nothing  for 
us  —  does  not  defend  us  from  the  Bedawin  —  does  not 
make  roads  for  us ;  and  having  driven  us  from  our  fathers' 
homes  in  Lebanon,  they  now  follow  us  into  this  desert, 
that  we  have  reclaimed  by  our  industry  and  defend  with 
our  lives.  Shall  our  children  be  as  cruelly  wronged  as  we 
have  been  ?  No,  my  children  !  We  will  unite  with  our 
suffering  brethren  in  the  Hauran.  We  must  meet  the 
enemy  on  the  threshold  before  he  enters  our  harems. 
With  a  righteous  cause,  and  God  on  our  side,  we  are  in- 
vincible." We  required  no  preternatural  perception  to 
see  that  the  sheikh  spoke  the  sentiments  of  every  one 
present. 

Of  all  who  heard  the  sheikh's  declaration  we  were,  per- 
haps, the  most  annoyed,  for  we  had  resolved  to  return 
home  through  the  district  that  had  become  disturbed,  and 
offer  our  books  at  every  village.  At  Orman  I  met  a 
Druze  teacher  from  Mount  Hermon,  who  long  ago  came 
to  me  and  professed  to  be  a  Christian.  He  gave  me  an 
autobiography,  showing  by  what  processes  of  thought  and 
education  he  had  become  a  Christian.  Chiefly  through 
the  influence  of  this  man  we  were  enabled  to  sell  more 
books  in  Orman  than  at  any  other  village. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  339 

Orman  is  the  Ultima  Thule  of  travellers  in  the  Hauran, 
but  most  of  them  wisely  content  themselves  by  looking  at 
it  from  the  castle  of  Sulkhad.  It  was  with  no  ordinary 
pleasure  and  surprise  that  we  heard  there  was  an  in- 
habited city  two  hours  east  of  Orman  in  the  desert.  We 
rejoiced  that  the  "  Handbook "  knew  notliing  of  the  city, 
and  we  resolved  to  become  discoverers  ourselves,  whatever 
might  be  the  result. 

We  sprang  to  our  horses  with  some  of  the  feelings  of 
Columbus  when  he  started  on  his  great  voyage  of  dis- 
covery. We  brought  with  us  a  mule,  with  luncheon  and 
books,  —  all  good  generals  think  of  the  commissariat, — 
but  we  soon  vanished  from  the  sight  of  the  muleteer,  riding 
into  the  unknown  desert,  and  we  did  the  whole  distance 
in  half  the  prescribed  time. 

The  morning  mirage  lay  all  about,  exaggerating  every 
little  ruin  into  "giant  cities"  and  "donjon-keeps,"  and 
we  felt  the  spirit  of  exaggeration  creeping  upon  our- 
selves—  that  spirit  which  generally  enters  into  a  man 
in  the  Hauran.  On  our  right,  on  distant  hills  that  bor- 
dered the  horizon,  were  many  ruins,  and  a  few  on  our 
left  also.  We  stopped  occasionally  in  our  headlong 
career  "  to  take  a  round  of  angles,''  but  it  was  only  for  a 
moment,  for  we  had  ceased  tamely  to  follow  in  the  foot- 
steps of  others,  and  we  had  become  discoverers  ourselves. 
Our  pace  for  the  future  would  only  be  "  a  hand  gallop," 
and  woe  betide  any  luckless  Arab  tribe  that  might  cross 
our  track! 

At  last  a  town  rose  up  before  us,  in  the  mirage  larger 


340 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


than  Palmyra.  On  we  spurred  fiercely,  and  five  high 
towers  (like  those  at  Palmyra)  came  safelj"^  out  of  the 
mirage  and  stood  majestically  around  on  the  city  walls. 
The  walls  were  high,  but  there  were  breaches  in  them 
here  and  there ;  and  there  was  much  apparent  bustle 
about  the  city,  and  over  twenty  yoke  of  oxen  were 
ploughing  in  the  suburbs.  The  name  of  the  place  proved 
to  be  Melah  es-Sarr^r. 


Q 
Q 


.    [ 


STONE    DOOR    (HAURAX). 


COIN   OF   BOSBA. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

"\  T  7"E  completed  our  exploration  of  Melah  es-Sanar  in 
*  *  a  spirit  of  high-wrought  enthusiasm.  We  found 
it  an  irregular  square,  surrounded  by  high  walls  partly 
in  ruins,  with  great  towers  in  the  walls,  in  some  places 
grouped  two  and  two,  and  over  sixty  feet  high.  They 
resembled  the  towers  of  Palmyra,  but  contained  no  loculi 
for  bodies.  Five  of  these  high  towers  were  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation,  three  more  were  in  a  tolerable  state, 
and  there  were  foundations  of  several  others  in  different 
quarters. 

The  ruins  were  wonderfully  crushed  together,  and 
"  battered  by  the  shocks  of  doom."  Some  of  the  ruins 
had  very  lofty  doors,  and  there  were  a  number  of  very 
high  arches  standing  among  the  ruins,  the  object  of 
which  it  is  difficult  to  conjecture.  On  many  of  the 
lintels  we  saw  Greek  crosses,  and  we  copied  eight 
Greek  inscriptions,  one  of  them  dedicated  to  Dusares, 
a  deity  much  worshipped  in  Bashan. 


342  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

The  town  stands  in  the  midst  of  a  large  cultivated 
plain,  which,  when  looked  at  horizontally,  seems  one 
flat  of  grey  stones,  but  when  3  ou  ride  thi*ough  it  you 
find  that  all  the  stones  are  loose,  and  that  the  soil 
among  them  is  all  cultivated.  Owing  to  the  altitude 
of  the  plain,  they  were  still  ploughing  and  sowing  a 
little  on  the  11th  of  April.  From  one  of  the  to  were  of 
Melah  es-Sarrar  we  counted  fourteen  other  ruins  in 
sight,  and  most  of  them  inhabited.  On  the  top  of  a 
hill,  due  east,  stands  a  very  conspicuous  ruin,  Deir  en- 
Nasara,  the  convent  of  the  Christians,  which  is  said,  I 
hope  truly,  to  be  the  last  ruin  in  that  direction. 

A  large  number  of  Druzes  and  some  Christians 
burrowed  among  the  ruins  of  Melah  es-Sarr^r.  Their 
sheikh  was  Husein  Abu  Muhammed,  a  son  of  Nejm, 
sheikh  of  Orman.  Husein  was  not  so  big  as  his  father, 
but  resembled  him  very  much,  and  was  exceedingly 
handsome  and  gentlemanly.  From  him  we  learned  that 
the  ruin  was  visited  three  yeare  previously.  We  con- 
jectured rightly  that  it  must  have  been  by  the  indefati- 
gable Waddington,  but  we  were  very  much  chagrined 
when  we  found  that  we  could  not  have  even  this  little 
corner  beyond  the  bounds  of  civilization  exclusively  for 
our  own  exploration.  Immediately  the  glory  began  to 
fade  from  colossal  tower  and  massive  ruin,  and  we 
put  the  whole  thing  down  as  late  Roman  —  in  fact, 
Byzantine.^ 

^  The  coins  we  found  were  Byzantine,  and  one  of  Bosra,  with  the 
name  Dusaria. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  343 

.  And  rightly,  too,  for  one  of  the  Greek  inscriptions  dates 
from  the  middle  of  the  seventh  century  ;  and  the  names  of 
places,  such  as  Deir  en-Nasara  and  Imtan  el-Khudr,  show 
that  the  region  attained  to  eminence  during  the  time  that 
Christianity,  victorious,  was  becoming  degenerate. 

While  we  were  seated  in  the  guest-chamber  with  the 
sheikh  an5  his  people,  two  Arabs  arrived,  who  were  a  won- 
derful contrast  to  the  Druzes.  They  had  on  them  the  left- 
off  habiliments  of  the  Jebusites,  and  they  entered  the 
chamber  as  if  going  to  execution.  They  cast  quick,  furtive 
glances  at  everybody,  without  being  able  to  meet  any  one's 
look  in  return.  Their  voices,  a  kind  of  glugging  bark, 
seemed  borrowed  from  the  camel,  and  appeared  to  sound 
up  out  of  their  boots.  They  were  salt-smugglers  fi-om  the 
Jowf. 

There  are  fine  beds  of  salt  at  Jerud  and  Palmyra ;  but 
a  few  years  ago  the  Turks  declared  the  salt  to  be  govern- 
ment property,  and  forbade  any  one  to  cari-y  it  away  on 
pain  of  severe  punishment.  They  did  not,  however,  bring 
it  to  the  cities  themselves,  and  so  the  price  of  salt  rose 
enormously  without  any  one  gaining  advantage  from  the 
high  price ;  and  so,  while  enormous  piles  of  salt,  like  a 
frozen  sea,  lay  uselessly  at  Jerud,  a  day's  journey  from 
Damascus,  these  creatures  were  engaged  in  smuggling  it 
from  the  distant  Jowf.  They  entered  in  the  most  thievish 
and  sheepish  manner,  and  as  soon  as  they  were  seated  they 
were  presented  with  a  bronze  basin  of  water,  of  which  they 
drank  enormously.  The  Druzes  seemed  to  look  upon 
these    Arab   guests  with   good-natured  contempt;   and  I 


344  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

have  no  doubt  the  aristocrats  of  the  desert  look  down  in 
turn  upon  the  Druzes  as  upon  a  plebeian  race. 

We  returned  past  Orman,  where  we  waved  an  adieu  to 
the  sheikh  en  passant^  and,  joining  some  men  who  were 
waiting  for  our  protection  on  the  road,  we  proceeded 
through  a  fenced  country  to  Sulkhad,  where  we  pitched 
our  tent  for  the  night. 

Sulkhad  is  doubtless  the  Salchah  of  the  Bible,  one  of  the 
northern  boundaries  (Dent.  iii.  10)  of  the  kingdom  of  Og. 
We  found  the  name  in  a  Nabathean  inscription  on  the 
front  of  a  church  now  used  as  a  dwelling-house,  but  the 
Arabic  name  is  sufficient  of  itself  to  settle  the  identifica- 
tion of  the  place. 

Sulkhad  is  a  large  Drjjze  village  containing,  according 
to  Burckhardt,  eight  hundred  houses.  The  town  is  situ- 
ated on  the  south-eastern  base  of  a  conical  hill  which  was 
once  a  volcano.  A  magnificent  castle  now  stands  on  the 
very  crater  of  the  volcano,  and  the  scoriae,  or  volcanic  cin- 
ders, are  lying  about.  The  castle  is  Saracenic,  and  the  walls 
are  full  of  Greek  inscriptions  rifled  from  other  buildings. 

The  chief  building  in  Sulkhad  is  the  mosque,  which  is 
made  up  of  beautiful  odds  and  ends  from  temple  and 
church  and  shop. 

The  roof  is  supported  by  nineteen  arches,  which  rest  on 
buttresses  built  of  square  stones.  Light  is  admitted 
through  windows  of  beautiful  patterns  worked  in  stone, 
and  the  roof  is  composed  of  long  stone  rafters,  reaching 
from  arch  to  arch. 

Five  of  the  arches  in  a  corner  are  walled  off  for  the  secret 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  345 

meeting-place  of  the  Druzes.  It  must  be  a  sombre  assem- 
bly-room, for  it  has  no  windows,  except  a  few  pigeon-holes 
among  the  stones.     Across  the  court  from  the  mosque, 


LEBANON   DRUZES. 


there  is  a  beautiful  minaret,  standing  alone,  with  a  belt  of 
white  stone  round  it  about  half-way  up,  and  on  the  belt  a 
Kufic  inscription,  dating  from  a.d.  1224. 


346  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

Streets  of  shops  lie  open  and  unused,  but  show  many 
signs  of  wear  and  occupation.  A  large  number  of  houses 
in  the  village  have  been  repaired,  and  are  now  occupied. 
The  place  was  almost  unoccupied  when  visited  by  Burck- 
hardt;  but  the  tax-gatherers,  and  the  money-lenders,  and 
other  civilizing  agencies  have  driven  whole  colonies  of 
the  Druzes  from  the  Lebanon  to  these  distant  and  con- 
genial regions. 

The  Sheikh  Muhammed  el-Atrash  was  absent,  for 
troublous  times  had  arrived,  and  the  turbulent  spirits 
were  up  and  moving.  I  shall  never,  however,  forget  the 
circumstances  under  which  he  received  us  on  my  first 
visit  to  Sulkhad,  We  arrived  after  dark,  and  pitched  our 
tent  in  a  tempest  of  rain.  The  sheikh  sent  for  us,  and 
when  we  entered  his  large  guest-chamber,  we  found  it 
packed  full  of  Bedawin.  They  were  the  Isai,  who  had 
made  an  onslaught  that  day  on  the  Ma'ajal,  and  had  been 
victorious. 

We  had  at  last  before  us  an  Arab  army,  and  an  Arab 
army  flushed  with  victory.  Their  spears  were  yet  red, 
and  they  had  the  trophies  of  war  with  them,  —  thirteen 
mares,  ninety  camels,  and  forty  guns.  The  rain  had 
driven  them  to  seek  shelter  in  the  sheikh's  house,  and  he 
was  preparing  them  a  feast.  A  great  fire  was  blazing  in 
the  middle  of  the  floor,  and  tongues  of  flame  licked  the 
stone  ceiling.  The  smoke  was  thick  and  bitter,  but  we 
bore  it  for  sake  of  the  heat,  as  our  clothes  were  drenched 
through  and  through. 

The  dinner  could  not  have  been  much  more  savage,  and 


CASTLK        OF        SALCHAH. 


PALMYRA  AND  ZEN08IA.  347 

yet  there  was  order.  A  brass  tray,  seven  feet  in  diameter, 
was  carried  in  by  four  men,  and  placed  in  the  middle  of 
the  floor.  On  the  tray  was  a  great  heap  of  hurgal  — 
crushed  wheat,  boiled.  A  number  of  sheep  had  been 
cooked  together  outside  in  a  large  cauldron,  and  two  men 
carried  in  a  pot  full  of  gravy,  which  very  much  resembled 
coal-tar,  and  poured  it  over  the  heap  of  hurgal.  My  friend 
naively  suggested,  "  That  is  the  snowy  pyramid  we  read 
of  in  the  guide-book  " ;  and  we  held  our  breath  for  fear 
we  should  be  invited  to  begin. 

The  animals  were  torn  up,  each  into  four  pieces,  and 
built  up  round  the  "  snowy  pyramid." 

The  sheikh,  when  everything  was  ready,  mounted  a 
Christian  altar,  which  stood  in  the  corner  of  the  room,  and 
calling  out  rapidly  twenty  or  thirty  names,  the  men 
rushed  forward  as  they  heard  their  names  and  attacked 
the  pyramid.  Each  caught  up  a  handful  of  hurgal^  and, 
rolling  it  up  in  a  ball,  put  it  into  his  mouth,  and  then, 
tearing  a  handful  of  the  flesh  from  some  quivering  limb, 
put  that  in  also.  When  these  had  fed  noisily  for  about 
five  minutes,  they  suddenly  fell  back  into  the  outer  dark- 
ness, and  another  relay  advanced  at  the  word  of  command, 
with  bare,  black  arms  and  hungry  eyes. 

There  seems  to  be  this  broad  difference  between  an 
Arab  feast  and  a  civilized  feast:  with  civilized  people 
there  are  courses  of  dishes,  but  with  the  Arabs  the  men 
form  the  courses.  And  so  they  advanced,  course  after 
course,  at  the  word  of  command,  till,  with  the  seventh 
course,  ray  muleteers  advanced,  according  to  their  rank, 

23 


348  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

and  fell  with  great  fury  —  for  it  was  Lent,  and  they  had 
been  fasting  —  on  a  great  heap  of  bare  bones  and  greasy  hur- 
gal.  There  was  a  course  lower  still ;  to  the  last  the  guests 
advanced  with  the  same  hungry  look  of  desperate  determina- 
tion. When  the  men  had  all  feasted  the  remains  of  the 
feast  were  carried  off  and  thrown  in  a  heap  for  the  women. 

We  left  Sulkhad  for  Kureiyeh  by  the  Roman  road,  and 
after  a  short  time,  fearing  that  we  had  missed  the  turning 
to  the  right,  some  of  our  party  rode  off  in  search  of  it, 
and  thus  our  cavalcade  got  divided.  We  soon  grew 
nervous  for  the  safety  of  our  companions,  who  were 
strangers  in  the  country,  and  started  off  to  look  for  them, 
and  so  we  wandered  about  looking  for  each  other  in  vain  ; 
nor  was  our  anxiety  diminished  by  the  fact  that  armed 
bands  of  wild-looking  men  were  riding  through  the  land, 
and  firing  off  their  guns.  Our  muleteers,  who  had  been 
stealing  some  growing  wheat  for  their  mules,  came  up 
breathless,  having  been  chased  by  "  fourteen  men  "  with 
guns,  —  perhaps  there  were  four ! 

At  last,  weary  of  climbing  over  the  billows  of  a  rocky 
ocean,  we  left  our  errant  companions  to  their  fate,  and 
struck  right  across  the  hills  for  Kureiyeh.  About  one- 
third  of  the  soil  was  under  cultivation,  with  the  stones 
piled  up  in  cairns.  We  started  a  very  small  black  hare 
and  two  foxes,  and  we  saw  swarms  of  partridges  and 
storks.  The  small  birds  were  chiefly  wheatears  and 
Persian  larks,  which  screamed  a  great  deal,  but  had  little 
music.  The  ground  was  covered  with  hyacinths,  white 
daisies,  and  beautiful  dark  irises. 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA.  349 

We  hurried  on  and  reached  the  brow  of  a  hill,  and  to 
our  inexpressible  relief  saw  our  lost  party  riding  up 
before  us  into  Kureiyeh.  We  had  crossed  each  othe*,  but 
how,  we  could  not  explain;  no  doubt  we  went  up  the 
furrow  of  one  wave,  and  they  came  down  the  furrow  of 
another. 

We  entered  Kureiyeh  in  company  with  a  shepherd,  and 
found  that  Ibrahim  el-Atrash  and  most  of  the  important 
Druzes  of  the  place  had  gone  off  to  Damascus  to  try  to 
ward  off  the  coming  struggle.  We  made  a  hasty  survey 
of  the  place,  and  passed  on  to  Bosra. 

At  fii-st  the  ground  was  very  stony.  By-and-by  the 
stones  were  gathered  out  of  the  fields,  and  gave  place  to 
cultivation;  and  the  latter  part  of  our  way  w*as  through 
a  broad  wavy  sea  of  wheat,  with  ruins  standing  up  here 
and  there  like  black  islands.  The  ruins  of  Bosra  stood 
up  massively  before  us,  and  we  entered  the  city,  passed  a 
large  tank  built  of  cut  stones,  just  as  the  setting  sun 
flung  back  a  golden  good-bye  to  capital  and  spire  of 
Grecian  column  and  Saracenic  minaret. 

Bosra  was  just  what  we  expected  it  to  be,  a  splendid 
city  in  ruins,  —  palaces,  castles,  theatres,  baths,  temples, 
colonnades,  triumphal  arches,  churches,  and  mosques,  all 
magnificent,  and  all  in  ruins.  Bosra  was  the  greatest 
city  in  Bashan  at  the  period  when  Roman  rule  was  leaving 
its  impress  upon  the  land.  From  the  castle  we  could  see 
the  true  evidences  of  Bosra's  greatness  in  the  numerous 
Roman  roads  that  converged  to  the  city  from  north, 
south,  east,  and   west.     In  whatever  direction  we  looked, 


350 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 


we  saw  these  roads  narrowing  in  the  distance,  until  they 
ended  in  a  fine  point  on  the  distant  horizon. 

Bosra  proper  lies  nearly  foursquare,  its  greatest  length 
being  east  and  west,  and  each  side  of  the  rectangular 
figure  is  over  a  mile.     It  stands  in  the  open  plain,  but  was 


surrounded  by  strong  walls,  and  it  has  a  magnifitcent  castle. 
The  outer  walls  of  the  castle  are  Saracenic,  and  some  parts 
of  them  are  built  almost  entirely  of  columns  squared,  and 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  353 

placed  in  the  walls  with  the  ends  out.  They  also  contain 
numerous  Greek  and  Latin  inscriptions,  generally  placed 
with  the  wrong  side  of  the  inscriptions  uppermost.  The 
walls  of  the  castle,  however,  were  built  round  a  Roman 
structure,  probably  a  similar  castle,  as  they  contain  a 
Roman  theatre  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.  "  Smith  " 
was  busy  in  Bosra,  and  he  has  left  engraven  on  stone  over 
four  hundred  lines  of  Greek  and  Latin  inscriptions,  the 
earliest  of  which  date  from  the  second  century  of  our  era. 
In  one  of  these  we  find  that  the  worship  of  Dusares,  whose 
name  we  met  elsewhere,  was  still  practised  in  the  middle 
of  the  sixth  century.  On  a  marble  column  in  the  great 
mosque  there  is  one  most  interesting  Greek  inscription, 
contained  within  two  circular  lines.  It  begins  thus :  "  In 
the  name  of  our  Saviour  Christ,"  etc.  It  is  not  without 
pain  that  one  thus  meets  the  name  of  Christ  as  one  among 
many  deities  of  a  bygone  worship. 

In  the  mosque  of  Bosra,  which  Burckhardt  says  "is 
certainly  coeval  with  the  first  era  of  Mohammedanism," 
we  see  a  characteristic  specimen  of  Moslem  architectui'e 
in  its  palmiest  days ;  and  in  front  of  the  mosque  there  are 
the  dakakm^  or  little  arched  shops,  which  the  Moslems 
built  on  the  sites  of  Roman  boulevards,  and  in  which  they 
squatted  beside  their  piles  of  wares,  and  swore  and  cheated 
as  they  do  to-day  in  Damascus. 

By  the  side  of  this  specimen  of  Moslem  architec- 
ture there  are  fragments  of  architecture  from  the 
best  days  of  the  Roman  dominion.  There  are  columns 
towering  above  the  ruins  to  a  height  of  forty-five   feet. 


354  PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 

and,  in  particular,  there  are  "the  four  large  Corinthian 
columns "  referred  to  by  Burckhardt  as  "  equalling  in 
beauty  of  execution  the  finest  of  those  at  Baalbec  or 
Palmyra." 

To  show  a  fine  cultivated  taste,  we  should  say  here,  as 
at  Baalbec,  Palmyra,  and  elsewhere,  "  Yes,  yes,  very  fine, 
but  too  florid  for  correct  taste  !  " 

Evidently  we  have  not  yet  acquired  correct  taste,  for  to 
us  these  columns,  in  the  wilderness  of  ruins,  seem  wonder- 
fully perfect  and  surpassingly  lovely.  What  adds  to  the 
marvellous  effect  of  the  columns  is  the  neglige  manner 
in  which  they  are  placed.  They  stand  at  irregular 
distances  from  each  other,  and  it  does  not  appear^  from 
anything  we  can  see,  that  they  have  ever  had  any  con- 
nection with  any  other  building. 

The  cathedral  church  of  Bosra,i  which  was  built  early 
in  the  sixth  century,  is  a  fine  specimen  of  Christian  archi- 
tecture. 

It  has  a  general  resemblance  to  the  church  of  St. 
George  in  Zerd,  but  is  much  larger  and  finer.  A  few 
traces  of  fresco  are  still  seen  on  the  walls,  but  there  is 
sufficient  to  show  the  idolatrous  character  of  Christianity 
in  Bosra  in  the  sixth  century.  It  would  be  an  instruc- 
tive chapter  that  would  show  how  the  corruptions  of 
the  Christian  church  prepared  the  way  for  the  triumphs 
of  Islam. 

We  spent  the  first  night  in  Bosra  in  trying  to  keep  the 

1  This  is  the  church  of  the  monk  Boheira,  who  was  believed  to  have 
coached  up  Muhamraed  in  Biblical  history. 


THEATRE       AND       CASTLE, 


RUINS        OF        B  O  S  R  A. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  355 

tent  over  us,  for  a  terrible  hurricane  swept  over  the  plain, 
and  seemed  to  mingle  heaven  and  earth  in  one  great  dust 
cloud.  The  sand  was  blown  into  every  place,  into  our 
mouths  and  noses  and  down  our  throats,  and  when  we 
attempted  a  tea  breakfast  we  had  to  hold  the  palms  of 
our  hands  on  the  mouths  of  the  cups  to  keep  out  the  dirt. 

Sunday  morning  broke  red  and  lowering  through  the 
dust  cloud,  reminding  me  of  a  morning  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean after  a  tempestuous  night.  The  city  enjoyed  its 
Sabbath.  Doubtless,  once  there  was  the  roar  of  Sabbath 
desecration  in  this  great  centre,  but  at  the  time  of  our 
visit  it  was  as  quiet  as  the  grave,  —  in  fact,  it  was  the 
huge  grave  of  a  great,  proud,  luxurious  city. 

The  captain  of  the  garrison  in  the  castle,  spying  our 
tent  among  the  ruins,  sent  us  word  that  we  must  remove 
our  tent  into  the  castle,  as  the  country  was  in  such  a  dis- 
turbed state  that  he  could  not  be  accountable  for  our 
safety  beyond  the  walls  of  the  castle.  We  felt  that  to 
erect  our  tent  in  the  castle  would  entirely  interfere  with 
our  chief  object,  and  so,  resolving  to  look  out  for  our  own 
safety,  we  pitched  it  in  a  green  field,  sheltered  by  a  large 
building  with  a  curiously-arched  roof. 

We  proceeded,  however,  to  the  castle,  where  we  found 
the  captain,  a  handsome  young  Syrian,  drilling  his  men, 
and  preparing  for  defence.  He  had  two  guns  drawn  up 
at  the  entrance,  where  there  was  a  guard  sufficient  to  pre- 
vent a  surprise,  and  in  case  of  the  approach  of  a  large 
force,  to  close  the  huge  door.  At  all  the  weak  points  he 
had  sentinels,  and  watchers  on  the  high  towers. 


356  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

The  captain  conducted  us  to  the  commandant,  whom 
we  found  still  in  bed.  He  was  a  typical  little  Turk,  with 
bandy  legs,  and  a  nose  like  the  scabbard  of  a  Persian  scimi- 
tar. He  occupied  a  little  ruinous  chamber  at  the  highest 
corner  of  the  castle,  near  the  flagstaff.  Over  the  chinks 
and  holes  in  the  walls  bits  of  the  Illustrated  London 
News  had  been  pasted,  serving  as  windows,  but  the  vio- 
lence of  the  storm  had  blown  them  all  away. 

On  a  straw  mat  in  the  corner,  this  little  Turkish  officer 
had  his  "shake-down,"  consisting  of  a  few  sheepskins  and 
two  leehafs  or  quilts  stuffed  with  wool  or  cotton. 

Contrary  to  our  wishes,  we  were  obliged  to  enter  the 
room  before  the  little  man  had  got  into  his  enormous 
trousers ;  but  without  betraying  any  secrets  of  the 
chamber  of  rest,  I  am  free  to  express  my  opinion  that  such 
sleeping  arrangements  ought  to  be  conducive  to  early 
rising.  The  little  man  was  delighted  to  see  us,  and  a 
letter  from  the  Wali,  which  T  presented  to  him,  he  placed 
on  his  head,  to  show  his  reverence  for  the  authority  behind 
it;  but  he  was  in  a  most  uncomfortable  state  of  mind,  for 
the  people  of  the  Hauran  had  threatened  to  abandon  their 
homes  on  the  morrow,  if  the  government  persisted  in  their 
demands. 

He  declared  that  they  were  in  a  state  of  siege,  and  that 
for  the  last  two  weeks  all  their  lettere  to  and  from  Damas- 
cus had  been  intercepted,  and  he  feared  that  the  people 
of  the  Hauran  might  converge  on  the  Turkish  garrison  at 
Bosra.  He  said  he  would  not  be  surprised  to  see  thirty 
thousand  or  fifty  thousand  armed  men  appear  around  the 
castle  at  any  moment. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOB/A.  359 

We  asked  if  he  would  be  able  to  defend  himself,  and  if 
the  garrison  would  be  able  to  hold  out,  and  he  only 
answered  with  Turkish  passivity  and  helplessness,  "  Allah 
karim"  (God  is  honourable). 

In  contrast  with  the  commandant,  the  captain  was  full 
of  confidence  and  energy.  He  had  been  indefatigable  the 
last  fortnight  in  trying  to  make  soldiers  of  the  garrison, 
and  now  he  was  waiting  watchfully  for  the  shock.  A 
battle  was  expected  that  day  at  Mezareeb,  and  they  were 
listening  for  the  sound  of  the  guns.  The  wildest  rumours 
were  afloat,  and  the  officers  assured  us  that  we  must  not 
think  of  leaving  for  three  or  four  days,  as  a  hundred  horse- 
men could  not  guard  us  beyond  the  walls  of  the  city. 
This  news  was  most  disappointing,  for  we  had  resolved  to 
strike  across  the  desert  by  Um  el-Jemal  (Beth-Gamul) 
to  Es-Salt,  but  the  disturbances  rendered  such  an  enter- 
prise out  of  the  question. 

We  spent  an  uncomfortable  day  at  Bosra,  and  wandered 
over  miles  of  ruins  as  far  as  Bab  el-Howa,  the  Gate  of 
the  Wind.  Wherever  we  went,  we  were  dogged  by  tall, 
sooty-looking  men,  with  long  hair  and  big  clubs.  We 
kept  our  eyes  upon  them,  and  they  kept  at  a  respectful 
distance  from  us.  Beyond  the  walls  of  the  city  proper, 
the  suburbs  extended  far  into  the  plain,  as  may  be  seen 
from  the  numerous  foundations ;  but  the  houses  seemed 
to  have  been  very  small,  and  the  streets  very  narrow, 
both  within  and  without  the  walls. 

We  spent  a  long  and  peaceful  time  in  the  ruined 
jnosque,  which   had   only  one  entrance,  and  we  felt   as- 


36o 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 


sured  that  no  one  could  enter  unseen  by  us.  Evidently 
our  follower  had  lost  our  scent,  for  we  were  left  un- 
disturbed. At  last  a  native  Christian  entered  the  mosque, 
made  a  casual  remark,  and  slipped  away. 

It  was  time  for  us  to  be  moving  once  more,  for  that 
Christian  had  been  sent  to  explore  us.  And  indeed  for 
all  such  business  in  the  Hauran,  Christians  are  employed. 
At  Schwet  el-Khudr,  Hebron,  and  Orman,  we   had  met 


BAB  EL-HOWA,  THE  GATE  OF  THE  WIND. 

Christians   bearing  the    "  fiery  cross "   through   the   land 
for  their  local  masters. 

As  we  left  the  mosque  a  drumming  sound  at  a  little 
distance  attracted  our  attention.  I  saw  that  an  attack 
was  about  to  be  made  upon  us,  and  I  directed  my  com- 
panion to  slip  quietly  down  a  back  way  to  our   camp. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A.  361 

and  leave  me  to  deal  with  the  mob.  As  I  approached  the 
angle  near  the  four  columns,  I  saw  a  crowd  of  eight  or  ten 
stalwarts  hurrying  to  intercept  me,  and,  as  I  could  not 
run  past  them,  I  husbanded  all  my  strength  to  meet  them. 

They  quickly  surrounded  me,  and  demanded  my  money. 
I  told  them  who  I  was,  not  an  ordinary  traveller,  but  a 
missionary,  and  that  I  had  books  for  them,  if  they  would 
come  to  my  tent ;  that  I  had  no  money  to  give  away,  and 
that  I  would  not  give  them  any  if  I  had. 

I  was  standing  on  a  liigh  bank,  with  my  back  to  a  wall, 
and  they  were  all  below  me,  and  thus  I  kept  them  at  bay 
for  a  few  minutes.  At  last  the  leader  of  the  party  seized 
me  by  the  throat,  but  instantly  he  fell  rolling  like  a 
bundle  to  the  bottom  of  the  bank.  The  thing  was  so 
instantaneous  that  the  whole  party  seemed  stunned  and 
paralyzed,  and  I  walked  quietly  away.  I  moved  off  in 
such  a  manner  that  I  could  see  the  mob,  without  seem- 
ing to  do  so,  as  the  eye  takes  in  a  wide  angle.  As  I 
turned  the  corner  of  a  ruin,  I  saw  that  they  had  collected 
their  thoughts,  and  were  gathering  stones  and  starting  in 
pursuit  of  me.  Having  got  round  the  corner,  I  ran 
straight  for  the  tent,  and  with  more  than  my  old  college 
pace,  I  was  soon  clear  of  my  pursuers. 

The  Turkish  officers  visited  our  tent  in  the  evening,  and 
the  watchers  were  still  looking  towards  the  west  from 
the  towers.  Two  or  three  alarms  had  been  given  duiing 
the  day,  when  a  band  of  Arabs  hove  in  sight  on  the 
horizon ;  but  through  the  long  day  of  suspense  no  trust- 
worthy news  had  reached  them. 

24 


362  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

They  urged  us  to  remain,  as  it  was  impossible  to  depart 
in  safety ;  and  when  we  assured  them  that  we  would  go  if 
there  were  fifty  battles  being  fought,  they  insisted  that  we 
should  take  twelve  men  as  a  guard,  led  by  one  of  themselves. 

I  verily  believed  that  the  little  Turk  wanted  to  escape 
with  us  to  Damascus.  We  protested  in  vain,  and  twelve 
men  were  told  off  to  accompany  us  in  the  morning.  We 
spent  another  sleepless  night  in  Bosra,  disturbed,  however, 
by  no  sound  except  that  of  the  horses  crumping  their 
barley,  and  my  companion  quoting  again  and  again  the 
Homeric  couplet,  as  rendered  by  Tennyson,  — 

"  And  champing  golden  grain,  the  horses  stood 
Hard  by  their  chariots,  waiting  for  the  dawn." 

The  dawn  at  last  came,  and  while  the  morning  star 
"  blazed  in  the  forehead  of  the  morning  sky,"  we  gave  the 
soldiers  the  slip,  and  started  for  the  Druze  mountain. 

On  the  previous  year  we  went  straight  from  'Ary  to 
Mezareeb,  through  a  wondrous  plain  of  wheat.  On  our 
left,  behind  and  before,  the  sea  of  wheat  stretched  away 
to  the  distant  hills.  When,  a  few  days  before,  we  had 
looked  down  from  Jebel  el-Kuleib  we  saw  what  seemed 
to  be  little  lakes  of  blood  among  the  wheat. 

We  concluded  it  was  some  phenomenon  produced  by 
the  setting  sun  and  the  mirage,  but  as  we  passed  along 
we  found  that  wherever  there  was  a  break  in  the  wheat 
the  ground  was  all  ablaze  with  scarlet  poppies. 

In  working  our  way  over  the  hill  to  Kefr  el-Laha,  we 
were  in  doubt  about  the  way,  and  I  struck  off  to  the 
right  to  look  for  the  road.     Passing  over  a  little  hill,  a 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  363 

solitary  Druze  saw  me,  and  rushed  straight  at  me.  He 
had  an  ox-goad  —  a  long  pole  tipped  with  an  iron  spike 
—  in  his  right  hand,  and  as  he  came  up  close  to  me  he 
snatched  a  dagger  out  of  his  belt. 

According  to  this  man's  idea,  the  battle  of  Mezareeb 
had  been  fought,  and  the  Turks  had  been  beaten,  and  I 
was  one  of  the  Turkish  officers  escaped  thus  far,  —  a 
fugitive  to  be  promptly  despatched.  I  had  a  good  idea 
of  what  these  men  are,  on  their  native  mountains,  when 
their  blood  is  up.  With  head  thrown  back,  and  eyes 
flashing,  he  bounded  up  to  me  like  a  strong  bull  of 
Bashan.     He  was  confounded  by  my  laughing  at  him. 

"  Don't  you  see  I  am  an  Inglizi  ?  "  I  said  to  him,  with 
a  laugh. 

His  whole  demeanour  instantly  changed,  and  from 
being  one  of  the  most  heroic  of  men,  he  became  a 
quiet-looking  old  patriarch,  about  sixty  years  of  age  or 
more.  He  inquired  eagerly  if  I  had  heard  how  the 
battle  went;  but  he  was  incoherent,  and  so  confused 
that  he  sent  us  on  the  wrong  way.  At  last  we  entered 
Kefr  el-Laha  at  a  sharp  gallop,  and  the  sound  of  our 
horses'  feet  brought  the  Druzes  out  of  their  assembly- 
room,  swarming  like  wasps  when  their  nest  is  touched. 

Nothing  worse  happened  than  a  kiss  from  the  sheikh. 
We  rushed  at  each  other,  placed  our  two  hands  on  the 
front  of  each  other's  shoulders,  and  reached  our  heads 
over  each  other's  shoulders  as  if  we  were  kissing  some 
one  behind  each  other's  backs.  Thus  we  did  not  in 
reality  kiss,  we  only  fell  on  each  other's  necks. 


364 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 


From  Kefr  el-Laha  we  might  have  proceeded  by  a 
direct  route  to  Damascus.  In  a  few  hours  we  should 
have  reached  Shuhba,  the  ancient  Philippopolis,  a  city 
which  gave  to  Rome  the  Emperor  Philip  the  Arabian, 
and  gave  to  the  Druzes  the  princely  Koreish  dynasty  of 
Sheh^b.  Shuhba  contains  many  evidences  of  its  former 
greatness.     Temples   and   columns   and  ruins  of  palatial 


SHUHBA,   ROMAN   BATH. 


buildings  abound,  and  on  the  ridge  is  a  theatre  well 
preserved.  The  place  is  well  deserving  of  a  visit,  and 
on  the  straight  way  to  Damascus  there  are  many  other 
interesting  scenes  and  ruins;  but  I  had  been  over  the 
route  previously,  and  so  we  proceeded  to  Rimet  el-Lohf 
with  intent  to  cross  the  Lejah  from  east  to  west. 


COIN    OF    PHILIP    STRUCK    AT    PHILOPPOPOLIS. 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

A  T  Rimet  el-Lohf  we  found  the  Druzes  as  usual  in 
^  ^  conclave  in  their  dark  assembly-room.  Sheikh 
Akhzin  accompanied  us  round  the  town,  and  pointed  out 
to  us  all  the  antiquities  of  the  place.  These  comprise  a 
Christian  church  in  ruins,  a  square  mortuary  tower  about 
twenty  feet  high,  and  a  number  of  inscriptions  in  Greek, 
Latin,  and  Nabathean. 

The  sheikh,  after  having  shown  us  all  he  had  to  show, 
returned  to  his  assembled  brethren,  and  I  started  for  a 
more  thorough  exploration  of  the  village  alone.  As  I 
passed  the  two  reservoirs  of  the  village  I  asked  a  drink 
from  some  Druze  women,  who  were  filling  their  jars, 
and  they  immediately  became  very  talkative,  and  asked 
questions  much  faster  than  I  could  answer  them.  The 
first  question  generally  asked  by  the  women  is,  — 

"  Have  you  entered  the  world  ? "  which  means,  "  Are 
you  married  ?  "  ^ 

1  The  wailers  at  the  funeral  of  an  unmarried  man  make  this  their 
bitterest  plaint,  "Ma  dakhal  ed  dunya"  ("He  had  never  entered  the 
world"). 


366  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

Then  they  ran  me  through  my  catechism,  about  the 
colour  of  my  wife's  skin,  whether  or  not  she  wore  rings 
in  her  nose,  and  if  she  had  any  boys,  the  question 
nearest  the  hearts  of  these  Spartan  mothers.  When 
they  asked  if  it  was  true  that  with  us  the  women  ruled 
the  men,  I  gave  an  evasive  answer,  and  passed  on  from 
my  horned  catechisers. 

While  exploring  an  extensive  private  ruin,  I  dropped 
down  through  a  break  in  the  stone  roof,  and  found  to 
my  astonishment  that  I  had  frightened  a  family  from 
their  supper.  Fancy  a  man  dropping  through  your 
ceiling  when  you  are  all  at  supper,  and  you  will  not  be 
surprised  to  hear  that  I  was  received  with  a  stony  stare. 
I  said  all  the  apologies  that  I  was  acquainted  with  in 
Arabic,  suitable  to  the  circumstances,  and  immediately 
they  were  all  delighted  to  see  me,  and  no  excuse  would 
save  me  from  partaking  of  their  food.  At  last  I 
consented  on  condition  of  every  one  returning  to  the 
place  which  he  occupied  previous  to  my  unceremonious 
descent. 

I  had  seen  the  patriarchal  and  lordly  feast  given  by  the 
sheikh  again  and  again,  always  with  the  same  dignified 
courtesy  on  the  part  of  the  host,  and  I  was  glad  of  an  op- 
portunity of  joining  with  a  poor  family  at  their  ordinary 
evening  meal. 

The  family  consisted  of  the  father  and  mother,  three 
plain  girls,  and  a  spoiled  boy.  They  all  squatted  on  a  hair 
cloth  round  a  little  straw  tray,  on  which  was  spread  some 
barley  bread,  and  in  the  centre  of  the  bread  stood  a  large 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA.  369 

earthenware  bowl  filled  with  kishk.  The  kishk  has  a  smell 
like  sauerkraut ;  it  is  made  of  laban  (sour  milk)  and  hurgal 
(crushed  wheat),  which  are  mixed  together  and  left  stand- 
ing until  the  whole  mass  is  rotten.  Then  it  is  dried  in  the 
sun,  and  served  up  in  many  ways. 

Our  feast  consisted  of  kishk,  with  a  little  greasy  water 
poured  over  it,  and  well  stirred  up  with  a  spoon.  The 
women  withdrew  their  veils,  exposing  mouths  and  chins 
horribly  tattooed.  The  father  of  the  family  leant  forward, 
and  with  a  "  Bismilla  "  (In  the  name  of  God)  took  a  hand- 
ful of  the  kishk,  rolled  it  up  in  a  ball,  and  threw  it  into  his 
mouth.  The  others  did  accordingly.  I  confined  myself 
exclusively  to  the  black  bread  and  brass  bowl  of  water, 
which  was  handed  round. 

The  smell  of  the  kishk  was  sickening,  and  the  bread, 
which  was  baked  with  cow's  dung,  had  too  much  of  the 
flavour  of  the  fuel.  The  boy  bullied  his  sisters  and  mother, 
patronized  me,  and  contradicted  his  father  on  grave  points 
of  history,  archaeology,  and  domestic  economy.  The  father 
seemed  to  enjoy  his  son's  triumphs  over  himself. 

One  of  the  reasons  why  this  boy  assumed  such  airs  with 
his  father,  was  that  he  was  one  of  the  ukkal,  or  initiated  in 
the  higher  mysteries  of  the  Druze  religion,  a  rank  to  which 
his  father  could  not  attain,  as  he  would  not  abstain  from 
swearing  and  smoking,  and  so  he  remained  among  the 
jahhdl,  or  ignorant,  while  his  precocious  boy  of  twelve 
was  received  into  the  highest  rank. 

When  the  maidens  had  each  disposed  of  four  or  five 
balls  apiece  of  kishk,  about  the  size  of  a  pigeon's  egg,  they 


370  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OBI  A. 

started  up  and  fell  back  one  by  one.  This  is  the  rule ;  no 
one  waits  for  another  at  table.  They  feed  rapidly  and 
silently,  and  each  one  withdraws  when  he  has  done. 

Leaving  my  hospitable  entertainers,  I  proceeded  to  the 
square  tower  at  the  west  of  the  village.  It  is  a  great 
tomb  built  in  imitation  of  the  Palmyra  towers,  with  loculi 
round  the  walls  for  the  reception  of  bodies.  It  has  a  fine 
Greek  inscription  over  the  entrance. 

While  copying  an  inscription  in  a  garden  wall  close  bj'^ 
the  tower  a  tall,  venerable  Druze  issued  from  a  hole  in  a 
ruin,  which  appeared  to  be  only  an  irregular  heap  of  stones, 
and  approaching  took  up  a  position  beside  me.  He  told 
me  many  wonderful  stories,  for  the  Druze  people  have  an 
amazing  faculty  for  believing  the  incredible. 

The  sheikh  had  taken  a  fancy  to  me,  I  was  so  good  a 
listener,  and  invited  me  to  his  den.  I  refused  to  accom- 
pany him,  urging  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  but  being  actu- 
ally afraid  of  this  strange  old  man,  whom  I  saw  heaving 
with  inspiration  in  the  glow  of  the  setting  sun. 

When  I  rose  to  depart  he  seized  my  arm  with  a  force 
that  I  did  not  think  was  in  him,  and  began  to  drag  me 
towards  the  ruin  which  he  called  his  house.  I  went 
quietly  along  with  him  till  just  at  the  door,  when,  feeling 
his  grasp  relax,  I  plucked  my  arm  out  of  his  hand,  and, 
jumping  over  a  low  wall,  turned  at  a  distance  of  ten  or 
twelve  yards  to  apologize. 

As  I  hurried  back  to  the  tent  I  met  the  whole  Druze 
population,  who  had  been  to  our  camp  to  see  my  wonder- 
ful gun,  which  my  muleteers   had   informed  them  "has 


PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  371 

only  to  be  wound  up,  and  it  will  blaze  away  as  long  as 
you  like  without  missing." 

On  April  the  15th  we  were  early  working  our  way  over 
the  execrable  path  between  Lohf  and  'Ahiry.  The  grim 
appearance  of  the  basalt  was  here  relieved  by  the  glancing 
green  of  the  hutm  trees  that  grow  among  the  stones. 
In  about  an  hour  we  approached  two  beautiful  telh^  or 
conical  hills,  with  fields  of  waving  wheat  sweeping  round 
their  bases,  and  surging  up  their  sides,  but  not  reaching 
to  the  top.  'Ahiry  is  at  the  base  of  the  second  tell^  which 
is  named  Tell  'Ammar. 

This  town  is  distinguished  from  all  the  towns  of  the 
Lejah  in  having  a  perennial  supply  of  water.  Among  the 
numerous  inscriptions  that  abound  here  we  find  the  names 
of  Aumos  and  Agenes,  ancient  deities  of  the  Hauran. 

On  every  side  we  saw  Roman  remains  and  Greek  in- 
scriptions, and  from  the  tell  we  saw  the  abiding  traces 
of  the  Roman  dominion,  in  the  road,  stretching  away  in 
straight  lines  through  the  stony  wilderness. 

Sheikh  Hussein  pressed  us  much  to  stay  for  break- 
fast, but  time  pressed  us  still  more  to  move,  as  we 
wished  to  cut  right  through  the  Lejah,  and  far  out  into 
the  plain  at  the  other  side,  during  the  day.  The  crowd 
that  gathered  round  us  liere  was  of  the  usual  character. 

The  Druzes,  in  person  and  dress,  differ  from  the  Mos- 
lems and  Christians,  who  are  pretty  much  alike.  The 
tub-like  turban  ^  of   the   Druzes  gives  them  a   top-heavy 

1  The  Druze  turban  consists  of  a  white  felt  cap,  which  is  covered  by 
the  red  fez,  and  this  is  swathed  about  with  calico  until  it  assumes  the 


372 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA. 


appearance;  and  indeed,  heaviness,  I  might  say  gross- 
ness,  in  limb  and  feature,  is  their  general  characteristic. 
They  are  often  very  fair,  have  blue  eyes,  and  are  gener- 
ally fat  and  ruddy.  They  are  always  %yell  clothed,  and 
are  seldom  met  with  barefooted. 

The  Moslems  and  Christians  who  live  among  the 
Druzes  are,  as  a  rule,  lean  and  lithe,  have  black  hair, 
dark,  piercing  eyes,  and  olive  complexions.  They  wear 
a  handkerchief  over  the  head,  fastened  there  with  a  hair- 
rope,  and  hanging  down  over  the  shoulders.  They  wear 
also  a  kind  of  cotton  gown,  with  a  sack-like  garment 
thrown  over  it,  and  they  are  constantly  met  barefooted. 
They  are  "  the  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water " 
to  the  Hauran  Druzes. 

We  struck  once  more  into  the  Lejah  in  the  direction 
of  Dama,  without  guide  or  guard,  as  usual,  though 
everybody  assured  us  that  the  Arabs  were  in  our  path. 
I  had  been  over  the  road  once  before,  and  we  were,  in 
fact,  becoming  sceptical  about  the  ferocity  of  the  Arabs. 
Besides,  I  had  previous  lessons  in  the  Hauran  on  the 
value  of  guides  and  guards. 

Once  when  reconnoitring  tlie  country  with  a  view  to 
future  operations,  we  became  excited  at  Khubab  in  read- 
ing the  description  of  the  wondrous  approach  of  Dp.ma. 
"  Lofty,  impending  cliffs,"  "  deep  gullies  and  ravines," 
"  a  wild  labyrinth  that  none  but  the  Arabs  can  pene- 
trate,"  are   scenes   rarely   within    one's   reach,   and    too 

dimensions  of  a  tub  about  eight  inches  deep  and  eighteen  inches  in 
diameter. 


PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  373 

tempting  to  be  passed  without  a  visit.  A  spice  of 
danger  was  added  to  the  wondrous  bill  of  fare;  for  if 
we  showed  paper  and  pencil,  which  we  certainly  would 
do,  we  would  be  taken  for  magicians,  and  set  upon  by 
lawless  vagabonds  with  clubs  and  stones.  We  had 
hitherto  found  everything  tamer  than  we  had  expected, 
and  our  faces  were  at  once  set  to  go  to  Dama. 

My  companion  had  a  magnificent  rifle,  which  was 
safely  packed  up  at  the  bottom  of  a  box,  and  he 
carried  a  breech-loading  fowling-piece  —  so  much  im- 
proved  that  it  could  hardly  be  fired  at  all.  Our  Arab 
guide  had  a  dabbous ;  but  then,  we  might  calculate  that 
he  would  be  on  the  wrong  side  with  this  murderous 
weapon.  Our  guard,  a  Kurdish  soldier,  carried  a  little 
howitzer  with  a  flint  lock,  but  the  arm  had  not  been 
fired  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  nor  was  it  ever  loaded 
during  our  whole  tour.  My  servant  had  also  tied  him- 
self to  a  tremendous  pistol ;  but  he  fired  it  for  the  first 
and  last  time  as  we  were  entering  Damascus  on  our 
4fe  return,  and  it  burst  in  the  most  becoming  manner, 
blowing  the  lock  into  the  air  and  injuring  his  hand. 

Thus  formidably  equipped,  and  with  a  supply  of  stick- 
ing-phister,  we  entered  the  Lejah  on  our  perilous  ad- 
venture. For  the  firet  hour  we  had  to  trace  out  our  own 
way,  as  neither  guide  nor  guard  appeared,  but  at  last  they 
overtook  us,  and  still  urged  us  to  go  back. 

We  had  set  our  lives  upon  a  cast,  and  we  would  stand 
the  hazard  of  the  die !  At  last  we  reached  Dama,  and 
just  as  we  came  up  to  the  entrance  of  the   town,  three 


374  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

women  rushed  up  out  of  a  deep  pit  where  they  had  been 
filling  skins  with  water.  They  raised  a  wild  scream,  and 
notwithstanding  I  cried,  "  We  are  not  enemies,  O  sisters," 
the  sisters  rushed  over  the  ruins  like  tigresses,  screaming, 
and  disappeared. 

They  were  tremendous  women,  Amazons  of  the  Hauran, 
the  only  remains  of  the  giants  that  I  feel  certain  about 
having  seen  in  the  whole  district.  "  Now,  we  are  in  for 
it,"  we  both  uttered  in  the  same  instant,  "  for  the  women 
will  bring  the  town  upon  us."  My  friend  looked  round  to 
give  a  parting  salute  to  the  retreating  guard,  but  he  was 
nowhere  to  be  seen.  In  fact,  our  whole  party  had  dis- 
covered something  extremely  interesting  in  the  rear,  and 
did  not  join  us  for  nearly  an  hour. 

After  waiting  like  Bob  Acres,  with  our  valour  oozing 
out  at  our  fingers'  ends,  and  no  infuriated  mob  coming  to 
attack  us,  we  picked  up  courage  and  entered  the  town 
vi  et  armis.  The  women  had  evidently  hidden  among 
the  ruins,  for  the  only  human  beings  we  saw  in  the  place 
were  three  most  savage-looking  men,  armed  with  dab- 
houses.  These  men  kept  away  from  us  a  distance  of 
about  four  hundred  yards,  and  we  could  not  induce  them 
to  approach  us,  or  to  wait  till  we  should  approach  them. 

We  wandered  at  will  through  the  ruins,  descended  into 
vaults,  and  ascended  into  dormitories,  and  rambled  over 
suites  of  apartments,  and  copied  inscriptions,  and  shot 
partridges,  and  neither  gave  nor  received  injury.  Neither 
did  we  see  the  "  impending  cliffs  "  nor  "  deep  ravines." 

The  inscriptions  proved  to  be  of  little  value,  and  Dama 


PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OBI  A.  375 

did  not  seem  to  have  ever  been  of  any  great  importance. 
It  contains  the  ruins  of  one  large  building,  the  gate  of 
which  is  adorned  with  vines  and  grajjes,  similar  to  what 
we  saw  at  Kanawat.  The  houses  were  good,  solid  struc- 
tures, a  la  Hauran,  but  they  were  all  in  a  ruinous  state. 
The  town,  which  stood  in  one  of  the  most  dismal  spots  of 
the  great  lava  bed,  had  neither  spring  nor  fountain,  as  far 
as  we  could  ascertain ;  but  the  rocks  beyond  the  walls 
were  full  of  excavated  cisterns,  the  sides  of  which  were 
plastered  with  cement,  and  in  most  of  the  houses  we 
saw  "  broken  cisterns "  half  filled  with  their  stone  roofs, 
which  had  fallen  in.  In  subterranean  chambers  the  winter 
rains  were  preserved  for  summer  use. 

In  this  dreary  and  deserted  region  we  came  upon 
patches  of  the  most  wonderful  colouring.  Wherever  the 
soil  remained  among  the  rocks,  "  we  scarce  could  see  the 
ground  for  flowers."  Crimson  poppies,  and  white  daisies, 
and  yellow  rape,  and  green  grass,  made  a  strikingly  lovely 
picture,  set  in  a  rigid  frame  of  black  basalt. 

Should  any  one  accuse  us  of  foolhardiness  for  going 
through  the  Hauran  in  those  times  without  a  guard,  the 
foregoing  experiences  are  our  justification  for  dispensing 
with  such  impedimenta,  especially  as  one's  guards  always 
bully  the  weak,  cringe  to  the  strong,  and  abuse  the  hos- 
pitality of  one's  hosts  generally.  The  one  great  use  of 
guards  —  to  bear  home  the  news  in  case  you  should  be 
killed  —  we  did  not  take  deeply  into  consideration,  and  so, 
guardiess  and  alone,  we  crossed  the  Lejah  at  'Ahiry  and 
made  straight  for  Dama. 


376  PALMYRA  AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

At  first  we  found  the  country  rough,  but  generally  cut 
up  into  fields,  many  of  which  were  cultivated.  The  stones 
had  been  gathered  into  heaps,  and  built  up  in  fences,  as 
is  done  in  the  mountainous  parts  of  Ireland  and  Scotland. 
As  we  penetrated  further,  the  cultivation  increased,  and 
extended  up  nearly  to  Dama. 

As  we  passed  Deir  Dama  on  our  right,  two  tall  Arabs 
came  in  sight,  on  our  path  before  us,  and  just  as  they  saw 
us  one  of  them  deliberately  stooped  for  a  stone,  which 
he  held  in  his  hand  under  his  garments.  They  were 
thoroughly  armed,  and  they  came  up  to  us  in  a  very  defi- 
ant manner,  and  the  one  who  picked  up  the  stone  —  a  tall, 
desperate-looking  character  —  came  up  in  front  of  my 
companion's  horse  and  stopped  it.  I  kept  at  a  distance 
behind,  to  one  side,  and  ready  for  any  emergency ;  and  the 
Arabs,  after  measuring  our  strength,  and  concluding  that 
the  balance  of  chances  was  against  them,  stood  sullenly 
aside,  and  let  us  pass. 

Our  servants,  however,  urged  us  never  to  let  the 
Arabs  come  so  close  to  us.  They  pointed  out  that 
they  were  armed  with  swords  and  clubs,  and  as  one  of 
them  had  a  large  stone  in  his  hand,  the  battle  would 
have  been  over  before  we  could  have  had  time  to  begin. 
It  seems  we  should  challenge  at  a  distance  all  Arabs  we 
met. 

We  were  greatly  surprised  at  the  amount  of  arable  land 
which  we  found  in  the  heart  of  the  Lejah.  We  turned  off 
the  ordinary  track  at  Dama  to  go  to  Harran,  and  wandered 
for  a  long  time  out  of  the  beaten  path,  and  we  came  fully 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  377 

to  comprehend  the  secret  of  the  numerous  towns  and 
cities  contained  in  Argob. 

Almost  the  whole  country  had  once  been  under  cultiva- 
tion^  and  the  little  fields,  when  not  now  under  cultivation, 
are  green  with  soft,  rich  grass. 

South-west  of  Dama,  also,  about  one-third  of  the  fields 
contained  wheat  and  barley.  As  we  approached  Jedal  the 
cultivated  ground  became  more  rare,  but  everywhere  we 
saw  traces  of  former  cultivation. 

Again  from  Jedal  the  cultivation  extended  with  occa- 
sional interruptions  up  to  the  rugged  margin  of  the  Lejah. 
Burckhardt,  when  writing  of  this  part  of  the  country, 
speaks  of  "  the  number  of  small  patches  of  meadow,  which 
afford  excellent  pasture  for  the  cattle  of  the  Arabs,"  but 
we  were  utterly  taken  by  surprise  to  find  such  an  amount 
of  arable  land  cultivated,  and  non-cultivated,  as  exists  in 
these  parts.  The  land  is  also  of  a  very  good  quality  and 
easily  worked,  like  all  soil  in  basaltic  regions. 

West  of  Jedal,  we  met  several  flocks  of  goats,  and  as 
our  servants  had  beeif  vainly  looking  out  for  water  all 
day,  we  called  a  halt  in  order  that  we  might  get  some 
milk.  The  first  goatherd  we  met  was  a  little  boy  whose 
only  garment  was  a  single  piece  of  white  calico,  which 
was  hung  round  his  neck  like  a  scarf,  and  fell  down  on 
each  side,  partially  covering  him.  It  was  with  great  diflB- 
culty  that  we  could  get  him  to  understand  what  we 
wanted.  Soon  a  second  boy,  dressed  like  the  former,  but 
a  little  older,  came  forth  like  a  fairy  from  among  the  rocks. 
He  was  very  zealous  to  strike  a  bargain  with  us.     We 

25 


378  PALMYRA   AND  ZEN  OB  I  A. 

promised  him  a  piaster  for  the  full  of  a  copper  basin  which 
he  carried  with  him,  but  he  insisted  on  having  his  money 
in  advance.  We  produced  a  silver  piece  which  was  one- 
eighth  more  than  a  piaster,  but  he  firmly  declared  that  he 
must  have  a  piaster,  and  that  he  would  take  neither  more 
nor  less. 

While  we  were  lying  in  the  grass,  drinking  the  milk, 
two  great  tall  Arabs  issued  from  the  rocks,  and  eyed  us 
from  a  distance.  They  then  approached  one  of  the  mule- 
teers, who  was  feeding  his  mule  on  the  wheat  at  a  dis- 
tance from  us,  and  asked  him  if  we  would  surrender. 

He  replied,  "  Not  if  there  were  two  thousand  of  you 
instead  of  two ;  for  the  Khawajat  have  guns  that  fire  thirty 
shots  a  minute,  and  five  thousand  an  hour."  The  logic 
was  conclusive,  for  the  Arabs  said,  "  W'alla,"  and  came  up 
to  us  at  once. 

One  of  them  was  over  six  feet  two  inches  high,  but 
looked  much  taller.  His  dress  consisted  of  a  single  coarse 
calico  shirt,  and  a  leathern  girdle  round  his  waist,  from 
which  a  dagger  was  suspended.  He  had  nothing  on  his 
enormous  black  head,  and  his  buttered  and  plaited  locks 
hung  down  his  shoulders.  He  was  barefooted,  and  his 
right  arm,  which  was  tattooed  with  figures  of  camels  in  the 
most  archaic  style,  was  bare  to  the  shoulder,  exhibiting 
muscular  development  in  the  highest  perfection. 

This,  and  the  Arab  who  crossed  our  path  in  the  morn- 
ing, were  the  finest  specimens  of  their  race,  physically,  I 
had  yet  met,  and  I  doubt  if  I  have  ever  seen  a  man  so 
powerfully  built  as  that  almost  naked  savage. 


PALMYRA  AND  ZENOBIA.  379 

On  coming  up,  he  assured  us,  in  a  somewhat  grand  man- 
ner, that  he  was  a  Selut  Arab ;  but  seeing  that  we  were  not 
mightily  impressed  with  the  information,  he  overwhelmed 
us  with  the  additional  fact  that  Abu  Suliman,  whom  all 
dread,  was  his  sheikh.  We  assured  him  that  we  were 
greatly  delighted  to  know  that  he  was  a  Selut  Arab,  and 
that  his  sheikh  was  Abu  Suliman,  but  that  we  wanted 
another  piaster's  worth  of  milk ;  whereupon  his  highness 
stooped  down,  caught  a  little  goat,  and  provided  us  with 
what  we  wanted,  taking  care,  however,  to  get  paid  in  full, 
and  a  little  more. 

By-and-by,  another  little  Arab,  in  the  same  undress  as 
the  former,  issued  from  among  the  rocks,  and  the  three 
stood  timorously  watching  all  our  movements.  The  tall 
Arabs  were  very  greedy,  and  asked  us  for  everything  we 
had,  like  children. 

The  little  boys  were  more  easily  satisfied,  and  seemed 
filled  with  delight  on  receiving  a  few  percussion  caps. 
They  had  never  heard  of  Adam,  or  David  the  shepherd, 
or  the  other  Good  Shepherd  who  gave  His  life  for  the 
sheep.  They  were  wild  and  hardy  as  the  goats  and  sheep 
they  were  tending,  a  little  higher  intellectually,  and  not  so 
well  clad  or  cared  for.  They  all  assured  us  that  no  one  in 
their  tribe  could  read,  and  so  they  had  no  use  for  our 
books. 

As  we  approached  Zobeir,  the  ground  became  more 
wavy,  and  as  we  had  to  go  along  the  hollows  and  had  no 
steady  object  in  view,  we  kept  moving  about  for  a  time 
almost  in  a  circle.     We   all  hurried  up  to   an  elevated 


38o  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

point,  believing  that  we  had  almost  reached  the  village, 
when,  to  our  surprise,  we  discovered  it  behind  us,  and 
that  we  had  been  going  further  from  it,  instead  of  approach- 
ing closer  to  it.  As  we  thus  wandered  about,  we  had 
additional  opportunities  of  seeing  the  capabilities  of  the 
land,  and  of  forming  an  idea  of  the  high  state  of  perfec- 
tion to  which  it  must  have  been  brought,  for  almost  every- 
where, even  on  the  bare  rocks,  we  saw  traces  of  former 
cultivation,  and  we  ceased  to  wonder  that  so  many  ruins 
existed  among  the  sable  waves  of  the  Lejah. 

By  keeping  our  eye  fixed  on  the  highest  rock  in  the 
line  of  our  march,  we  at  last  got  free  of  the  mazy  waves 
among  which  we  were  entangled,  and  soon  we  emerged 
once  more  on  the  open  plain  at  Khubab. 

As  we  cast  our  eye  along  the  black  rocky  coast- 
line, we  thought  of  the  striking  appropriateness  of  the 
Hebrew  word  Hehel^  always  applied  to  Argob  in  the 
Bible,  whether  that  word  means  a  rope,  in  reference 
to  its  "  sharply  defined  border,"  or  whether,  as  would 
be  equally  appropriate,  the  word  signifies  a  tvave. 

We  now  proceeded  north-west  for  more  than  an  hour, 
through  an  unbroken  flat  of  level  wheat,  in  Avhich  we 
passed  an  enormous  flock  of  gazelles,  and  reached  Buseir 
at  the  going  down  of  the  sun.  We  soon  discovered  that 
the  inhabitants  of  the  place  were  Christians,  b}'"  their 
curiosity  and  activity.  They  swarmed  about  us,  bring- 
ing antiquities,  and  eggs  and  milk,  unasked,  and  showed 
much  eagerness  to  make  bargains  with  us. 

The   people,  having   finished    the   ploughing  and   sow- 


THE    HAJJ    LEAVING    DAMASCUS. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  383 

ing,  were  all  busily  engaged  in  dressing  mill-stones, 
and  we  were  shown  eight  which  were  purchased  on  the 
day  of  our  arrival,  by  a  merchant  from  Akka,  for  forty 
napoleons.  We  passed  an  uncomfortable  night  at  Buseir, 
and  though  the .  rain  poured  down  upon  us,  we  were 
obliged  to  pay  for  water  for  ourselves  and  horses. 

On  April  16th  we  started  early  for  Damascus.  Our 
path  lay  through  a  stony,  cultivated  plain,  in  which 
hundreds  of  storks  were  marching  up  and  down  the 
wheat  in  straight  lines,  and  partridges  were  shouting 
from  rock  to  rock.  As  we  approached  the  Hajj  road 
we  saw  enormous  flocks  of  vultures,  soaring  and  wheel- 
ing, and  filling  the  air  before  us.  We  soon  learned  the 
cause.  "  Where  the  carcass  is,  there  will  the  vultures 
be  gathered  together." 

The  great  caravan  of  pilgrims  from  Mekka  had  passed 
that  way  the  day  before,  and  had  left  their  track  strewed 
with  horses,  and  mules,  and  camels,  dead  and  dying. 
Apparently  no  ofiicer  from  the  Society  for  Prevention 
of  Cruelty  to  Animals  accompanies  the  Hajj,  and  so 
the  holy  men  ride  on  their  animals  till  the  saddles  sink 
into  the  bones,  and  when  they  can  force  them  along  no 
further,  they  abandon  them  to  die  of  their  wounds  and 
thirst. 

The  vultures  come  along  a  day  in  the  rear  of  the 
pilgrims,  and  strip  the  quivering  flesh  off  the  animals 
ere  they  are  quite  dead.  They  all  fall  upon  a  carcass 
together,  and  when  they  have  stripped  it  bare,  they  rise 
like   a  mighty  whirlwind  into   the  air,  and  ascend   and 


384  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

soar  round  and  round  for  a  few  minutes,  until  one  of 
them,  espying  a  new  victim,  strikes  off  at  a  tangent 
from  the  huge,  revolving  vulture  cloud,  and  draws  the 
rest  after  it  in  the  form  of  a  comet,  of  which  it  is  the 
nucleus. 

Down,  down  they  come  swooping  on  their  prey,  and 
they  cover  the  animal  until  nothing  is  seen  but  a  strug- 
gling heap  of  vultures;  and  so  intent  are  they  on  the 
feast,  that  you  might  run  in  among  them  and  knock 
them  down  with  a  stick.  All  the  vultures  of  Arabia 
seemed  to  be  gathered  together  in  this  one  great  army, 
and  they  were  so  confident  that  they  stood  red  in  talon 
and  beak  and  watched  us  from  a  few  yards'  distance  as 
we  passed. 

We  halted  at  Kesweh,^  a  town  on  the  'Awaj,  where  the 
river  has  made  a  little  paradise  among  the  bare  red  fields. 
The  pilgrims  had  abandoned  the  place  a  few  hours  previ- 
ous to  our  arrival,  and  everything  was  abominably  filthy, 
except  the  little  stream  of  running  water. 

We  approached  Damascus,  bringing  up  the  rear  of  the 
Hajj,  but  it  being  Wednesday,  an  unlucky  day,  the  eara- 
van  could  not  officially  enter  the  Holy  City.  Some  of  the 
pilgrims  of  the  worldly  sort  pushed  on  straight  to  their 

1  "The  accurate  Burckhardt"  sometimes  takes  one's  breath  away. 
He  says,  El-Kesweh  is  a  considerable  village  situated  on  the  river  'Awaj, 
or  the  Crooked,  which  flows  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Hasbeya,  and 
waters  the  plain  of  Djolan  ("  Travels  in  Syria  and  the  Holy  Land,"  p. 
63).  He  would  have  little  trouble  in  making  a  "stream  meander  level 
with  its  fount,"  who  could  bring  the  'Awaj  over  Mount  Hermon  from 
Hasbeya  or  carry  it  over  Joulan. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  385 

homes  ;  but  the  devout  ones  were  sitting  outside  the  walls, 
quarrelling  and  swearing,  and  plying  the  instruments  of 
King  James'  luxury,  their  nails ;  and  when  their  wives  and 
children  came  out  to  meet  them  after  a  long  absence,  they 
did  not  rise  to  receive  their  welcome  or  show  any  sign  of 
gladness  at  meeting  them  once  more.  We  met  crowds 
coming  out  of  the  city  to  kiss  the  hands  and  beards  of 
these  holy  pilgrims,  and  their  blessing  was  eagerly  sought.^ 
Keating  would  have  been  useful. 

As  we  entered  the  "  pearly  Damascus  "  in  its  emerald  set- 
ting, after  a  weary  ride  through  an  uninteresting  country, 
we  could  thoroughly  sympathize  with  the  extravagant 
manner  in  which  the  Arabs  speak  of  "  the  Pleasant^'''  "  the 
Hbnourable,^^  "  the  Soly"  "  the  Blessed  "  Damascus. 

I  have  thus  endeavoured  to  present  a  simple  picture  of 
Bashan,  its  people  and  ruins,  as  I  saw  them.  No  doubt  the 
picture  is  only  a  sketchy  outline,  but  it  is  an  outline  of  all 
the  important  parts. 

Moreover,  in  the  disposition  of  light  and  shade  I  have 
had  no  theory  to  support,  and  therefore  I  have  had  no  in- 
ducement to  distort  facts  to  give  colour  to  my  own  precon- 
ceived opinions.  I  have  sought  truth  for  its  own  sake, 
without  any  attempt  to  champion  Scripture  history,  or 
prophecy,  believing,  as  I  do,  that  simple  facts  in  every  de- 
partment of  human  research  best  illustrate  the  Divine 
Word. 

1  The  prophet  said,  "  God  pardons  the  pilgrim,  and  him  for  whom  the 
pilgrim  prays."  Hence,  on  meeting  the  pilgrim,  the  people  say,  "Pray 
for  pardon  for  me,"  to  which  the  pilgrim  replies,  "  Allah,  pardon  him." 


386  PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA. 

No  one  need  be  discouraged  because  the  picture  is  poor 
in  mechanical  evidence  of  the  pre-Israelitish  inhabitants  of 
Bashan,  when  he  remembers  how  many  thousand  years  the 
spoilers  have  been  within  her  borders ;  that  the  Romans, 
who  reconstructed  her  cities,  pulled  down  to  build  up ;  and 
above  all,  when  he  remembers  what  destruction  a  few  cen- 
turies of  misrule  have  been  able  to  accomplish  in  the 
splendid  cities  of  Syria.^ 

And  is  not  the  light  shed  on  the  Sacred  Record  by  sim- 
ple facts,  of  a  nature  to  satisfy  the  most  utilitarian  inves- 
tigator ?  That  Bashan  contained  an  enormous  number  of 
towns  is  a  fact  proved  beyond  all  cavil.^ 

The  ruins  of  "  the  towns  of  Jair,  which  are  in  Bashan, 
threescore  cities "  (Josh.  xiii.  30),  are  there  to  this  day, 
some  of  them  unchanged  even  in  name,  and  we  have  seen, 
from  the  tokens  of  a  former  cultivation,  that  these  cities 
had  extensive  resources  in  their  own  strange  land. 

But  with  the  picture,  I  wish  to  present  a  plea  on  be- 
half of  the  inhabitants  of  Bashan.  We  are  the  heredi- 
tary friends  of  the  Druzes.  They  look  on  us  as  their 
protectors,  and  welcome  us  among  them  as  their  bene- 

1  In  digging  the  foundation  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Damascus, 
Roman  remains  were  found  to  a  depth  of  fifteen  feet ;  thus  the  floors  of 
the  houses  in  the  Damascus  of  to-day  occupy  nearly  the  same  position  as 
did  the  roofs  of  the  houses  in  the  Damascus  of  Augustus. 

2  Burckhardt,  during  two  brief  tours  in  Bashan  in  1812,  discovered  one 
hundred  and  seventy-one  ruins.  Since  then,  Porter,  Waddington,  and 
others  have  brought  important  ruins  to  light  which  were  unnoticed  by 
Burckhardt.  I  have  in  my  note-book  over  two  hundred  names  of  places 
in  Bashan,  all  of  considerable  importance.  A  rich  harvest  still  awaits 
the  patient  archaeologist  in  that  wonderful  land. 


PALMYRA   AND  ZENOBIA.  387 

factors ;  but  have  we  ever  done  anything  for  them  ?  For 
a  few  individuals,  yes.  For  the  Druze  people,  no. 
Bashan  as  a  mission  field  has  never  been  occupied,  nor 
are  there  in  existence  within  its  borders  any  really  serious 
direct  missionary  operations. 

And  yet  there  is  no  more  attractive  mission  field  for 
a  missionary  of  manly  piety  than  among  the  chivalrous 
Druzes  of  the  Hauran. 

Nor  have  we  any  reason  to  consider  a  mission  to  the 
Druzes  hopeless,  for  they  who  believed,  through  the  preach- 
ing of  Dorazy,  in  the  incarnation  of  the  mad  Fatimite, 
El-Hakem,  would  surely  be  brought,  through  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Gospel,  which  is  the  Power  of  God,  to  believe 
in  the  incarnation  of  Jesus,  who  is  the  Wisdom  of  God. 

And  let  me  add,  without  presumption,  that  whatever 
church  or  people  attempts  mission  work  in  the  Hauran, 
should  send  their  best  man  to  the  work,  one  of  themselves, 
who  will  carry  the  living  sympathy  of  his  people  with 
him ;  for  a  mere  hireling,  or  adventurer,  will  be  as  impo- 
tent for  good  as  the  prophet's  servant  when  laying  a 
lifeless  stick  on  the  face  of  a  dead  child. 


INDEX. 


Abana,  235. 

Abanias,  236> 

Abraham,  9. 

Abu  AU,  329. 

Abu  el-Fawaris,  97,  139,  181. 

Abu  Muraj,  243. 

Abu  Rebah,  34,  35. 

Abu  Sahll,  60,  80,  90. 

Abu  Suliman,  379. 

Adraa,  284. 

Adra'at,  284,  286,  287. 

Agrippa,  64,  312. 

•Ahiry,  371. 

'Ain  el-Wu'ul,  40,  54,  141,  184,  200. 

'Ain  Mousa,  328. 

Akka,  275,  383. 

Alath,  106. 

Alemanni,  150. 

Aleppo,  105,  141. 

Alexandria,  133. 

'Alliasha,  90. 

Amelius,  133. 

Ammonius  Saccas,  133. 

'Amour  Bedawin,  33,  178, 185. 

Anazi  Bedawin,  208. 

Ancyra,  140. 

Anti-Lebanon,  5. 

Antioch,  118,  141,  112,  147. 

Antony,  Mark,  103,  104,  110. 

Apamea,  148. 

Arab  curiosity,  269. 

Arab  romancers,  124. 

Archaeological  fever,  195,  196. 

Arethusa,  148. 

Argob,  247,  271,  377. 

Armenians,  132. 

Ashtaroth,  289. 

Asia  Minor,  140,  153,  154. 

Asileh,  199. 

Athens,  133. 

Athila,  319,  320. 

AtU,  320. 


'Atny,  191. 

Atrash,  325. 

Attack  of  guard,  198. 

Augustus,  137. 

AureUan,  67,  104,  140,  145,  146  ;  to  Zenobia, 

157 ;  his  triumph,  164. 
'Awaj,  234,  235,  384. 
Azzab,  179. 

Baalatga,  90. 

Bab  el-Howa,  359. 

Bab  eS^Shurki,  193,  225. 

Bab  Tama,  5. 

Babila,  232. 

Bagdad  donkeys,  49 ;  post,  3. 

Baldwin  III.,  226. 

Ballisto,  118,  120. 

Barada,  236. 

B4rady,  42. 

Barri,  141. 

Bashan,  223,  250, 315  ;  reapers,  30 ;  threescore 

cities,  386. 
Bathaniyeh,  252. 
Bath-Zabbai,  73,  127. 
Battle  of  Immae,  145. 
Beaufort,  Miss,  63. 
Bedawin,  22,  23,  26,  29. 
Bedawl  raids,  3,  20, 171,  206;  attack,  172, 186. 
Beilan  Pass,  142. 
Belkis,  Lady,  33. 
Ben  Hadad,  239. 
Beni  Samayda,  124. 
Berkeley,  Hon.  C.  F.  P  ,  and  wife,  4. 
Bible  Society,  224. 
Bible  testimony,  1. 
Birch,  Dr.,  88,  89. 
Blackmail,  190,  254. 
Blight  of  Islam,  170,  332. 
Blood-mare,  199. 
Blunt,  Lady  Anne,  53. 
Bosphorus,  140. 
Bosra,  105,  284,  349,  350,  354  ;  robbers,  361. 


39° 


INDEX. 


"Brandy  Bob,"  41,  42, 172,  176,  180.  183. 

Brandy  used,  203. 

British  Museum,  88. 

Broomfleld,  W.,  231. 

Buckle,  230. 

Bukha,  16. 

Burak,  240,  247,  252. 

Burckhardt,  254,  263,  313,  334. 

Burton,  74. 

Burzeh,  6. 

Busr  el-Hariry,  296. 

Bustard,  263. 

Byzantium,  164. 

Caius  Cassius,  135. 

Callistus,  118,  120. 

Camels,  224. 

Capitplias,  284. 

Cappadocla,  116. 

Captive's  song,  47. 

Captive  Syrian  girl,  4a, 

Caravan,  185. 

Carchemish,  105. 

Cassias  Ch»rea,  135. 

Cassius  Longinus,  133,  142,  148. 

Castle  of  Palmyra,  98. 

Ceionius  Bassus,  163. 

Celtic  legions,  149. 

Cemeteries,  226. 

Chalcedon,  164,  252. 

Chaldsean  monarch,  91. 

Challenge,  207,  216. 

Chased,  201. 

Chester,  Kev.  Greville,  88. 

Choosing  workmen,  79. 

Christian  inscriptions,  353. 

Christian  spies,  360. 

Church  at  Ezrd,  293. 

Cllicia,  118. 

Circesium,  111. 

Claudius,  136. 

Cleopatra,  123,  132. 

Coffee  making,  336. 

Coins,  136,  155,  194,  284,  300. 

College  at  Beyrout,  59. 

Colportage,  276. 

Conference,  218. 

Constantia,  252. 

Consul,  301. 

Convent  of  Saidenaya,  10. 

Corinthian  capitals,  63,  283. 

Cornelius  Capitolinus,  132. 

Cotes  worth,  Mr.,  84. 

Crawford,  Dr.,  216. 

Cruelty  to  animals,  383. 

Crusaders,  226. 

Ctesiphon,  121. 

Cuckoo,  330. 

Curlew,  66. 


DABBons,  150,  215. 

Dalmatian  cavalry,  149. 

Dama,  372,  373. 

Damascus,  5,  6,  9,  192,  220;  massacre,  226; 

rivers,  236. 
Danava,  111. 
Danube,  117. 
Daphne,  147. 
David's  trick,  183. 
Dawara  range,  60,  98. 
Dawoud,  Khalil,  224,  231. 
Decius,  117. 

Deir  'Atiyeh,  22,  23,  187. 
Deir  en-Nasara,  343. 
Dera,  286. 
Deyr,  160. 
Digby,  Lady,  231. 
Dilly,  288. 
Diocletian,  169. 
Diomede,  293. 
Dionysias,  326. 
Disillusioning,  196. 
Disraeli,  46,  219. 
Dorazy,  387. 
Druzes,  12,  223,  251,  254,  298;  excited,  335; 

guerilla,   363;    horns,  306;    mission,  387; 

song,  93;  speech,  338;   women,  306,  317, 

327,  365. 
Dusares,  341,  353. 

Edessa,  117. 

Edrei,  284,  291. 

Egypt,  123,  136. 

El-Hakem,  387. 

El-Kra,  314. 

El-Kufr,  329. 

El-Kutifeh,  192. 

EUenborough,  Lady,  110. 

Emesa,  120,  133,  141,  147,  152. 

Encounter  with  Arabs,  217. 

English  engineers,  9,  80. 

English  travellers,  224. 

English  workmen,  6. 

Ephca  fountain,  95,  152, 155. 

Ethiopia,  89. 

Eth-thuniyeh,  192. 

Et-Tell,  10. 

Euphrates,  23,  98,  103,  111,  116,  159, 185. 

Europe,  137. 

Eusebius;  145,  284. 

Excavators,  130. 

Ezri,  280,  293. 

Famine,  20. 
Fans,  gipsy  guide,  41. 
Father  of  ladders,  77. 
Fendy  Abu  Fakhr,  297. 
Feride,  276. 
Florentinus,  315. 


INDEX. 


391 


Fox,  33. 

Frazer,  Kev.  J.,  230. 

Gallienus,  120, 121,  161. 

Gaza,  104. 

Gaz^wy,  24,  175. 

Gazelle  traps,  42. 

Gazzo,  22. 

Gergesa,  19. 

Giath  Bedawin,  33. 

Gichos,  83. 

Gideon,  313. 

Gilead,  313. 

Gladstone,  219. 

(Joths,  115,  123,  140,  150. 

Greek  Catholic  convent,  13. 

Greek  inscriptions,  16,  32,  34,  282,  296,  326, 

365. 
Greville  Cliester,  Eev.,  8& 
Grouse,  263. 
Guide,  24. 
Gunthur,  32,  33. 

Habiba,  274. 

Hadrian,  64,  106,  107,  111. 

Hadrianopolis,  111. 

Hafr,  25. 

Hair,  271. 

Hairan,  115. 

Hajj,  383. 

Halet  Paslia,  187. 

Hamah,  25,  141,  219. 

Hamam,  141. 

Hamnets,  William,  230. 

Handcufifs,  13. 

Hare,  33. 

Harper,  Professor  A.,  223. 

Harran,  376. 

Hauran,  240,  318 ;  Towers,  279. 

Hawarln,  30,  31,  32,  141. 

Hazar-enan,  37. 

Hebel,  380. 

Hebran,  330. 

Helbon  wine,  14. 

Heliogabalus,  135. 

Hell  (Slieol),  91. 

Heraclianus,  136. 

Hennon,  6,  221,  232,  234,  277,  289. 

Herod  the  Great,  31& 

Heshbon,  284. 

Hierocles,  253. 

History,  1. 

Hittites,  25. 

Hittite  inscriptions,  220. 

Holy  of  Holies,  68. 

Hospitality,  257. 

Hums,  6,  25,  149,  151. 

Hunger,  21. 

Husein  Abu  Muhammed,  342. 


Iamlichos,  83. 
Ibex,  48 ;  hunters,  49. 
Ibrahim  Pasha,  21,  254. 
Ibrahim  el-Atrash,  325. 
Ibrahim  Nejm  el-Atrash,  334. 
Idumeans,  318. 
Imniae,  145. 
Imperator,  137. 
Imprisoned,  92. 
Imtan  el-Khudr,  343. 
Isaiah,  91. 
Isai  Bedawin,  346. 
Ishmaelites,  4,  49,  189. 

Jaik,  386. 
Jambrouda,  18. 
Jan,  110. 
Jaral,  141. 
Jebel  ed-Druze,  314. 
Jebel  el-'Aleib,  101. 
Jebel  el-Aswad,  233. 
Jebel  el-Kuleib,  295,  362. 
Jebel  el-Mantar,  60,  95. 
Jebel  Kalamoun,  3,  5,  6. 
Jgdal,  377. 
Jeremiah,  332. 
Jenid,  192,  843. 
Jisr  et-Taiyebeh,  285. 
Jogbehah,  313. 
Jordan,  313. 
Josephus,  312,  318. 
Jowf,  343. 
Jnb-'Adtn,  16. 
Jupiter  Capitolinus,  164. 
Justinian,  169. 

Kadisheh,  199. 

Kalamoun,  3,  5,  6,  25. 

Kanath,  313. 

Kanatha,  315. 

Kanaw4t,  308,  311,  312,  314,  319,  333. 

Kara,  25. 

Karak,  4,  105. 

Karrhae,  105. 

Karyetein,  3,  30.  31,  36,  37, 141, 184, 188,  211. 

Kasr  el-Hazftn,  101. 

Kasr  el-Hiyar,  43,  51, 141. 

Kasr  eth-Thuniyeh,  84. 

Kasr  Mabroom,  311,  333. 

Kefr  el-Laha,  362,  364. 

Kefr  Howar,  234. 

Kerbela,  48. 

Kesweh,  384. 

Khaled,  193,  226. 

Khubab,  272,  274,  333. 

Khuderfyeh,  42. 

King  James'  luxury,  385. 

Kishk,  369. 

Koradsea,  37. 


392 


INDEX. 


Koran,  16,  296. 
KufeUey,  177, 178. 
Kuleib,  328. 
Kurds,  17. 
Kureiyeh,  348,  349. 

Laban,  297. 

Ladders,  74. 

Larissa,  148. 

Latin  inscriptions,  234,  365 

Lava,  271. 

Lebanon,  5,  101. 

Lejah,  247,  250,  258,  297. 

Lent,  343. 

Ltvani  Herald,  30, 185,  190. 

Longinus,  103,  124,  134,  158,  162. 

Lord  Aniadhon,  272,  273. 

Lullaby,  47. 

Madder  root,  20. 

Magrabi  woman,  320. 

Mdloola,  10,  13,  16,  17. 

Manasseh,  289,  313. 

Mantar,  60,  95. 

Maraba,  9. 

Marbat  'Antar,  140,  UL 

Mar  Theckla,  14. 

Maundrell,  11. 

Mediterranean,  116. 

Mejdel,  301,  302. 

Mekka  Pilgrims,  383. 

Melah  es-Sarrar,  340,  341,  34a 

Melihat  Hezkin,  279. 

Menin,  10. 

Mesopotamia,  111,  116, 121. 

Midianites,  313. 

Mission  school,  52. 

Mommsen,  111,  152,  161. 

M  >nks,  13. 

Muaddamiyeh,  192. 

Muliejjeh,  282. 

Muiiin,  26,  141. 

Mule,  77. 

Mummies,  194. 

Musmeib,  253,  268. 

Mysians,  149. 

Naaman,  235. 

Nabathean  inscriptions,  344,  365. 

Naked  soldier,  213. 

Nazala,  37. 

Nazareth,  20. 

Nebk,  10,  21,  24,  187. 

Nehala,  37. 

Nejha,  234. 

Nejran,  297,  301. 

Nero,  135. 

Nice,  Council  of,  18. 

Nicomachus,  158. 


Nile,  103,  138. 
Nisibis,  121. 
Nobah,  313. 
Noricum,  149. 
Nuthatclies,  15. 

Odai.vathus,  73, 103,  115,  117,  119,  121 ;  vic- 
torious, 119,  120  ;  murdered,  122. 
Og,  284,  289,  290,  300. 
Og's  Edrei  identified,  291. 
Omar  Bey,  35,  50. 
Orientals,  119. 
Origines,  133. 
Orman,  331,  332,  334,  338 
Orontes,  140,  149. 
Ottoman  rule,  337. 

Palestinians,  149, 150. 

Palmyra   twice   vi.sited,   3 ;   castle,  55,   98 ; 

mountains,  98 ;  name,  101 ;  cavalry,  146. 
Palmyrene  inscriptions,  89,  110. 
Paonians,  149. 
Parthia,  103. 
Parthians,  66,  154. 
Partridges,  33,  51,  255. 
Paul,  226. 
Peaceful  Arabs,  49. 
Penuel,  313. 

Persian  larks,  25 ;  greyhoond,  54. 
Persians,  112,  132. 
Petra,  4,  104. 

Peutinger  Itinerary,  37,  2S4. 
Phaena,  253,  265,  267. 
Pharpar,  6,  234,  235,  239. 
Phojnicians,  149. 
Pliilip,  266. 

Philip  the  Arabian,  364. 
Philippopolis,  364. 
Phronto,  133. 
Picture,  11. 
Pliny,  104,  110. 
Plunder,  186,  187. 
Pompeiopolis,  118. 
Porphyry,  134. 
Porter,  254,  294. 
Princess,  46. 
Probatus,  136. 
Probus,  137. 

Prussian  Sisters,  Beyrout,  276. 
Ptolemies,  124. 

Raba,  328. 
Rahibeh,  187. 
Ransacking  the  tombs,  80. 
Eas  el-'Ain,  37. 
Ras  el-Kowz,  18. 
Recruits,  13. 
Rhcetiura,  149. 
Rhubarb,  21. 


INDEX. 


393 


Bimet  el-Lohf,  864,  365. 

Eiver  scenery,  10. 

Koman  arms,  103 ;   purple,  103 ;  historians, 

110;   legions,  111,  135;  cavalry,  146,  149; 

triumph,  160 ;  road,  105,  288,  807,  323. 
RuBnus,  115. 
Ruse,  203. 
Rustan,  46. 
Ruth-like  gleaners,  29. 

Safa,  232. 

Saideuaya,  10, 11,  12,  13,  23 ;  miracle,  11   12. 

Saladin,  9. 

Salcah,  289. 

Salimiyeh,  141. 

Salmalath,  lOd 

Salt,  343. 

Sapor,  116,  117, 118, 119. 

Saracens,  193. 

Sasa,  234. 

Scalpers,  271. 

Schewet  el-Khudr,  330,  331. 

Scott,  Rev.  Jas.  Orr,  223,  230. 

Scythopolis,  313. 

Seleucidse,  25. 

Seiat  Arab,  379. 

Septimia  Zenobia,  73. 

Septimius  Odainathus,  73. 

Severus,  111,  112. 

Shehab,  364. 

Sheil(h  Abu  Shabtn,  307. 

Sheikh  Dabbons,  30,  185. 

Sheikh  Hasimeh,  301,  302. 

Sheikh  Hezkin,  280. 

Sheikh  Hussein,  371. 

Shems,  106. 

Sheol,  91. 

Shepherds  robbed,  3. 

Shnhba,  364. 

Shukra,  283. 

Shunning  the  camp,  200. 

Sihon,  289. 

Skulls,  87,  93,  194. 

Soada,  326. 

Solemus,  252. 

Solomon,  1,  33,  35,  102,  124. 

Solomon's  Baths,  32. 

St.  Elias,  292. 

St.  George,  292,  293,  330. 

St.  Luke,  10. 

Stanley,  24. 

Statues,  124. 

Stone  doors,  etc,  250. 

Storks,  23S. 

Strabo,  89. 

Straight  Street,  5,  224. 

Strange  lady,  298. 

"Strip:"  216. 

Subhi  Pasha,  148, 187,  219. 


Snccoth,  313. 

Sudud,  25,  26,  27. 

Suez,  230. 

Suleib  Arabs,  48 ;  donkeys,  52 ;  beauty,  58. 

Sulelm,  307,  311. 

Sulkhad,  331,  344. 

Sunday  at  Bosra,  855  ;  at  Khnbab,  270. 

Suweideh,  323,  324. 

Syriac  sjKiken,  16. 

Syrian  maps,  5  :  roads,  9. 

Tadmor,  23 ;  mins,  1 ;  artists,  67 ;  belles,  83 ; 
name,  101 ;  origin  of,  102 ;  prosperity  of, 
104  ;  cavalry,  129 ;  besieged,  152. 

Tamerlane,  236. 

Taura,  6,  239. 

Tax  gatherers,  80,  255. 

Teleky,  Countess,  230. 

Tell  'Amm&r,  371. 

Tell  Ash'areh,  290. 

Tell  AshUrah,  290. 

Tell  Karak,  289,  290. 

Tell  Sheehan,  307. 

Terra-cotta  tablets,  194. 

Temple  of  the  King's  Mother,  64,  107. 

Temple  of  the  Sun,  17,  61,  107,  163,  165,  170. 

Teutonic  chivalry,  23. 

Theandrias,  320. 

Thomson,  Dr.,  285. 

Tibny,  282. 

Tigris,  9& 

Timagenes,  137. 

Tirhakah,  88,  89. 

Tomb  towers,  81,  82,  86,  110. 

Towers,  279,  33:J. 

Trachonitis,  247. 

Trade  routes  to  India,  104. 

Trebellius  PoUio,  109,  119,  136. 

Turkish  officials,  179,  187,  190 ;  soldiers,  3.55 

Turks,  21,  32,  177. 

Tyana,  141. 

Tyanians,  149. 

Umbrella  bandIe,  195. 
Um  el-Jem&l,  350. 
Underground  tomb,  91. 
Unpleasant  companions,  215. 

Valerian,  116,  U7. 
Via  recta,  225. 
Victors'  feast,  346. 
Vopiscng,  109,  158,  161. 
Vultures,  383. 

Wa'al,  48. 

Waddington,  253,  315,  342, 
Wady  Barbar,  239. 
Wady  Zeidy,  28i;. 
Wab-balUth,  115, 193. 


394 


INDEX. 


Waked  el-Hamd&n,  324,  325,  327. 

Walnuts,  10. 

Warm  fountain,  96. 

Wasm,  35. 

Water H»rriers,  50. 

Weedy  horses,  179. 

Wetzstein,  Dr.,  28& 

Wheat  pits,  275. 

Wood  and  Dawkins,  83. 

Wounded,  210. 

Yabbocd,  10,  17,  18, 19,  21 ;  people,  19. 

Zabbai,  127. 
Zabdas,  127, 136, 147. 


Zabdeathus,  105. 

Zedad,  25. 

Zeinab,  72,  109. 

Zenobia,  home  of,  1 ;  jewels  of,  68 ;  palace 
of,  72  ;  Tadmor  of,  87  ;  kinship  of,  123, 
131 ;  head  of,  128 ;  described,  131 ;  a  lin- 
guist, 133 ;  army  of,  142  ;  in  arms,  147, 
149  ;  defence  of,  156  ;  letter  to  Aurelian, 
157  ;  flight  of,  159 ;  captured,  160  ;  a  cap- 
tive, 164. 

Zobeir,  379. 

Zobeireh,  274. 

Zorava,  292. 

Zosimus,  109,  142,  147,  149, 156,  16a 

Zolmeh  Hills,  289. 


Works  of  Travel  and  Research. 


Jouraal  of  a  Voyage  round  the 
World  of  H.M.S.  "Beagle." 
By  Charles  Darwix,  M.A., 
F.R.S.  With  16  Full-page  and 
6  Double-page  Illustrations.  8vo, 
cloth  extra.     Price  4s. 

"  The  most  delightful  of  all  Mr.  Dar- 
win's works.  ..In  many  respects  it  exhib- 
its Darwin  at  his  best.  In  following  him 
we  feel  that  not  merely  the  intellectual  but 
the  TJioral  atmosphere  in  which  we  move 
i^  high  and  pure." — Duke  of  Argyll. 

The  Land  of  Greece.  Described 
and  Illustrated.  By  Charles 
Henry  Haxso.v,  Author  of  "The 
Siege  of  Troy,  and  the  Wander- 
ings of  Ulysses,"  etc.  With  44 
Illustrations.  Imperial  8vo,  cloth 
extra.     Price  Ss. 

In  this  handsome  volume,  the  present 
condition  of  the  "historical  localities" 
and  ruins  of  Greece  is  well  described, 
along  with  interesting  sketches  of  their 
past  history. 

In  the  Holy  Land.  By  Rev.  An- 
drew Thomsok,  D.D.,  F.R.S.E., 
Minister  of  Broughton  Place 
Church,  Edinburgh.  With  18  En- 
gravings. N'ew  Edition,  Crown 
Svo,  cloth  extra.     Price  4s. 

The  aim  of  the  author  has  been  to  record 
such  customs  among  the  people  as  shall 
be  found  to  shed  new  or  iiuyreased  light 
upon  the  Word  of  God. 

Kane's  Arctic  Explorations  :  The 
Second  Grinnel  Expedition  in 
Search  of  Sir  John  Fi-anklin. 
With  a  Chart  and  60  Woodcuts. 
Crown  Svo,  cloth  extra.     4s. 

A  record  of  heroic  endurance  and  cour- 
age, and  of  providential  deliverances. 

Maury's  Physical  Geography  of 
the  Sea,  With  13  Charts  and 
Diagrams.  Crown  8vo,  cloth 
extra.     Price  43. 

A  book  of  scientific  infonnation  in  r  - 
gard  to  ocean  depths,  currents,  tempera- 
ture, winds,  etc. 


Wanderings  in  South  America, 
etc.  By  Charles  Waterto.v, 
Esq.  With  16  Illustrations.  Post 
Svo,  cloth  extra.     Price  4s. 

"  The  first  thing  which  strikes  us  in 
this  extraordinary  chronicle  is  the  genu- 
ine zeal  and  inexhaustible  delight  with 
which  all  the  barbarotts  countries  he  visits 
are  described.  He  seems  to  love  the  forests, 
the  tigers,  and  the  apes— to  be  rejoiced 
that  he  is  the  only  man  there .' " — Sydney 
•Smith. 

On  the  Desert.  A  Narrative  of 
Ti*avel  from  Egypt  through  the 
Wilderness  of  Sinai  to  Palestine. 
By  Hexry  M.  Field,  D.D.,  New 
York.  Author's  Edition.  With 
16  Illustrations.  Crown  Svo, 
cloth  extra.     Price  4s. 

Canon  Farkar  soi/s  of  Uiis  work:— 
"  I  found  it  so  interesting  that  I  could 
not  lay  it  down  till  I  had  finished  it." 

The  Life  and  Voyages  of  Christo- 
pher Columbus.  By  Washing- 
ton Irving.  Author's  Revised 
Edition.  Crown  Svo,  cloth  ex- 
tra.    664  pages.     Price  4s. 

Egypt  Past  and  Present  De- 
scribed and  Illustrated.  With  a 
Narrative  of  its  Occupation  by  the 
British,  and  of  Recent  Events 
in  the  Soudan.  By  W.  H.  Daven- 
port Adams.  With  100  Illus- 
trations, and  Portrait  of  General 
Grordon.  Post  Svo,  cl.  ex.  3s.  6d. 
In  this  volume  are  brought  together  the 
principal  facts  t7i  connection  with  the 
history  and  monuments  of  Egypt.  The 
ilhistrations  are  from  authentic  smirces. 

The  Mountain.  By  Jules  Miche- 
LET,  Author  of  "  The  Bird,"  etc. 
With  17  Illustrations.  Crown 
Svo,  cloth  extra.     Price  48. 

A  volume  of  graphic  word-pictures, 
along  tvith  beautiful  engravings,  of  the 
most  striking  features  of  mountain  scen- 
ery, including  glaciers,  lakes,  forests,  the 
Alpine  flora,  etc. 


T.    NELSON   -AND  SONS,    LONDON,    EDINBURGH,    AND   NEW  YORK. 


The  Land  and  The  Book. 


LIBRARY  AND  PRESENTATION   EDITION. 


The  Land  and  The  Book.  Bib- 
lical Illustrations  Drawn  from 
the  Manners  and  Customs,  the 
Scenes  and  Scenery  of  the  Holy 
Land.  By  William  M.  Thom- 
son, D.D.,  Forty-five  Years  a 
Missionary  in  Syria  and  Pales- 
tine. 

Division  I.,  entitled 

Southern  Palestine  and  Jeru- 
salem. With  140  Illustrations 
and  Maps.  Imperial  8vo.  592  pp. 
Cloth  extra,  richly  gilt  side,  back, 
and  edges.     Price  21s. 

Division  II,,  entitled 
Central  Palestine  AND  Ph(enicia. 
With  130  Illustrations  and  Maps. 
Imperial  8vo.  714  pp.  Cloth 
extra,  richly  gilt  side,  back,  and 
edges.     Price  2l8. 

Division  III.,  entitled 
Lebanon,  Damascus,  and  Beyond 
Jordan.     With  147  Illustrations 


and  Maps.  Imperial  8vo.  746  pp. 
Cloth  extx'a,  i-ichly  gilt  side,  back, 
and  edges.     Price  21s. 

The  Complete  Work  is  comprised  in 
Three  Volumes,  price  £3,  3s.,  but 
each  Volume  or  Division  is  quite 
complete  in  itself,  and  is  sold 
separately.     Price  2 Is. 

*^*  This  important  AVork  can  also 
be  had  substantially  bound  in 
leather,  roxburgh  style,  gilt  top. 
In  sets  at  specicd  jn-ice. 

The  Pictorial  Illustratious  are  en- 
tirely new,  prepared  specially  for 
this  Work  from  Photographs 
taken  by  the  Author,  and  from 
original  drawings.  They  have 
been  tlrawn  and  engraved  under 
his  superintendence  by  Artists  in 
London,  Paris,  and  New  York. 
The  Work  has  been  produced  at 
great  expense,  and  is  copyright  in 
Britain  and  America. 


Illustrated  Drawing-Room  Books. 


Dedicated  by  Permission  to 
H.R.H.  The  Princess  of  Wales. 
Jerusalem,  Bethany,  and  Bethle- 
hem. By  J.  L.  Porter,  D.D., 
LL.D.,  President  of  Queen's  Col- 
lege, Belfast;  Author  of  "Mur- 
ray's Handbook  for  Syria  and 
Palestine, "  etc.  With  a  Panora- 
ma of  Jerusalem  from  the  Mount 
of  Olives  and  90  Large  Engravings 
from  Photographs.  Royal  4to, 
gilt.  Price  10s.  6d. 
Galilee  and  The  Jordan.  Scenes 
of  the  Early  Life  and  Labours  of 
Our  Lord.  By  J.  L.  Porter, 
D.  D. ,  LL.  D. ,  President  of  Queen's 
College,     Belfast  ;     Author     of 


"  Murray's  Haiullwok  for  Syria 
and  Palestine,"  "  Jerusalem, 
Bethany,  and  Betlilehem,"  etc. 
With  125  Illustrations.  Royal 
4to,  cloth  extra,  gilt  edges.  Price 
lOs.  6d. 

The  Mediterranean  Illustrated. 
Picturesque  Views  and  Descrip- 
tions of  its  Cities,  Shores,  and 
Islands.  .  By  the  Author  of  "The 
Arctic  World,"  etc.  The  Illus- 
trations in  this  Beautiful  Volume 
comprise  30  Full-iiage  and  up- 
wards of  140  other  Engravings, 
etc.  ;  and  also  a  Tinted  Map. 
Imperial  4to,  cloth  extra,  gilt 
edges.     Price  12s. 


T,  nelson  and  sons,  LONDON,  EDINBURGH,  AND  NEW  YORK. 


^ 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  vras  borrowed. 


■■MlfflSl^EGICmL .LIBRARV  FAOLITY 


A     000  602  064 


./  7 'J 


